


Sons of E'din: Archridge Academy: Years 1-3

by wolframlogistics



Series: Sons of E'din [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Ancient History, Ancient Technology, Angels, Asexual Character, Bisexual Male Character, Boarding School, Brothers, Caste Privilege, Child Abuse, Children, Gay Male Character, Hurt, M/M, Manipulation, Multi, Pain, Pansexual Character, Prophecy, Punishment, Rape/Non-con Elements, School, Science Fiction, Siblings, Trans Character, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-03-03 09:31:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 123
Words: 333,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13338402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolframlogistics/pseuds/wolframlogistics
Summary: After Gabriel discovers his little brother is being abused by his father, he does everything he can to save him. He succeeds, in a way, but now he has to hold up his end of the arrangement or face the consequences. It shouldn't be too hard. All his father is asking for is perfection.For the first time in his life, Alex is allowed to attend Archridge Academy with his brother. He knows he should be excited to go, but the world is much bigger than he ever imagined. The secrets he must keep make it difficult to know who to trust, but at least he has his brother.Discover the Soul Shatter universe along with Alex, Gabriel, and the other winged children of the Isten as their world slowly falls apart around them. The hardest lesson these boys may have to learn over the coming years is that there are no happy endings.✶ Year 1 - Chapter 1-34✶ Year 2 - Chapter 35-71✶ Year 3 - Chapter 72-123✶ Year 4 - New Work





	1. Prologue - Gabriel: 5th Degree of Harvest, 593 DE

**Author's Note:**

> ✶ Sons of E'din is a continuation of the backstory found in the first book of the Rust Prophecies series.  
> Links are provided, but it is intended to be a stand alone work ✶
> 
> Previous chapters relating to Sons of E'din:  
> ✶[Alex: 2nd Degree of Saviors, 592 DE ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12909900/chapters/29770392) \- Five Chapters (Warning: Child Abuse, Rape)  
> ✶[Gabriel: 30th Degree of Predators, 593 DE](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12909900/chapters/30539052) \- Thirteen Chapters (Warning: Child Abuse)  
> -Not Necessary to Read Previous Chapters to Continue-  
> Rough draft quality, sorry for any inconsistencies. Will try to update weekly.  
> ((All warnings will apply. This story gets very dark as it progresses through the years the boys share at the academy.))

****

##  **Prologue**

Without warning, Jequn stood and kicked Gabriel in the stomach, the impact lifting and spinning the boy into the air. One of Gabriel’s wings lashed out, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from crashing into the wall. His face bounced off the mosaic tiles, then he dropped heavily to the floor, landing hard on his back and wings. 

Gabriel’s abdomen spasmed with pain, leaving him feeling paralyzed and unable to draw in a new breath. Writhing and gasping, he could only lay there and stare up at Jequn helplessly.

“Stay on the ground while I talk to you,” said Jequn with a sneer. “It’s better than you deserve right now.” 

Back arching and wings thrashing, Gabriel finally took a breath. He never thought it could be so painful to breathe, and yet, so desired. It was difficult to think of anything but the agony in his chest. He rolled to his side, curling around his stomach. His wings pressed tight against his back, making him look smaller.

“You expect me to believe Alexiel was sired by an Ahnnak. Do you think I’m stupid? No Isten would allow their progeny to breed a Terran with unverified pedigree, let alone one who is already married.” Jequn crouched down again. He reached out and picked up a lock of Gabriel’s silver hair. As he ran the long silver strands through his fingers, he said, “Liliel was designed for me. She is worthless to any other Isten or their descendants.”

“But it’s true. Alex’s father is an Ahnnak,” said Gabriel.

With a swift yank, Jequn ripped the hair from Gabriel’s head. The boy bit back a scream. “ _Alexiel_ ,” the Isten corrected.

“Alexiel,” sobbed Gabriel.

Jequn rubbed the loose hair between his fingers, letting the silver strands fall to the floor before Gabriel. “I think you’re lying to me. Alexiel is just some worthless bastard, earning his keep at my pleasure. I could destroy him whenever I want.”

“I’m telling the truth, and if you kill him, I will tell everyone who his real father is. Everyone will know you raised another man’s child for years. They’ll know about the affair, and how you still allow your wife to sleep with other men.”

Jequn brought his hand down fast to strike Gabriel’s face, but stopped just before he made contact. Braced for the impact, Gabriel flinched as feather-light fingertips touched his cheek, gently caressing his skin. 

“I should kill you.” The words were emotionless, a simple statement by the Isten. 

Voice trembling, Gabriel whispered, “If you do, everyone will expect you to make Alexiel your heir. Then, you will have another Isten’s descendant as heir to your name.”

“I could kill you both. And your mother.”

His father’s touch, even so gentle, made him want to panic and flee. He forced himself to take small, controlled breaths. “If you kill us all, you will be ridiculed as the only Isten to lose their entire house.”

Slowly, Jequn’s fingers traced the features of Gabriel’s face. His cheekbones, his brow, the bridge of his nose. Gabriel didn’t dare move, even as Jequn’s fingers brushed over his lips. 

“It would be a tragedy,” the Isten whispered, his cold blue eyes focused on Gabriel’s mouth, “but these things happen.” He tapped Gabriel’s lips twice, not hard, but Gabriel still flinched with each touch. 

Jequn withdrew his hand from his son’s face. He leaned in very close, so Gabriel’s vision was filled with nothing but his father. “Tell me the man’s name,” he demanded.

Gabriel watched Jequn’s expression very carefully as he said, “Sachiel.”

A blank look came over Jequn’s face. His eyes dulled, like he no longer saw the room around him. It was a look Gabriel had seen before. The Isten instructors at Archridge Academy would get that look when they were searching through thousands of years worth of memories to find an answer to a question. Gabriel had never seen that look on his father, but he knew, immediately, when Jequn remembered the name. 

“You lie!” Jequn hissed. He snarled at Gabriel, and the boy thought for sure his father was going to hit him again. Instead, Jequn stood and began pacing a short distance back and forth. His six wings twitched, agitated while Jequn alternated between snarling to himself and mumbling calculations.

While his father was distracted, Gabriel carefully sat up. He leaned back against the wall, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. The pain in his stomach and chest was lessening, but his throat still hurt. He expected to see bright bruises covering his neck by the time he got out of there. 

He silently watched his father pace. He knew Jequn was calculating dates, as Gabriel himself had done in the library. But what took Gabriel two days to discover in books and scrolls, Jequn determined in minutes. 

Jequn stopped at the edge of the pool, going completely still. His wings relaxed, not laying quite as smooth as when folded, but not tense and extended. The silver coils of hair lay around his shoulders, no longer dripping water down his chest. The Isten stayed there for another minute, immobile.

When he turned back to Gabriel, there was a different look in his eyes, something more guarded. “This is what is going to happen. You are going to return to the academy first thing in the morning.”

“But-”

“Don’t interrupt me,” thundered Jequn. His eyes narrowed upon his son. “When you return to the academy, you will prepare for and immediately take the advanced coursework admittance test. Understood?” 

“I-I’m only twelve. I can’t test for at least two more years.” The advanced classes were open to students, fourteen and older, who excelled in all the standard classes. It took months of preparation and several recommendations from instructors to even be considered for the program. And then there was the test. Most students who tried failed the first two times. That’s why sixteen was the standard starting age for the advanced coursework. Gabriel had suspected that one day his father would force him to take that route through the academy, but he had expected it to be another three or four years away. 

“As the son of an Isten, you will test whenever I say you will test. And you will pass. And your score will be perfect. You are done humiliating me at that institution, boy.”

Shaking his head, Gabriel said, “It’s not possible. There’s no way I can pass.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find a way.” Jequn smirked, looking down at Gabriel. “I will arrange for a transport to bring Alexiel to the academy by the new moon. He will begin classes as soon as they resume.”

Gabriel stared up at his father. The Isten was serious. He was really going to allow Alex to attend the academy. Gabriel had done it! But instead of the elation he thought he would feel from triumphing over his father, he felt apprehension.

Jequn continued, “I want you to understand something, Gabriel. You are my only son and heir. There is no one who holds more control over you than I do. No Isten will interfere on your behalf.” He reached down, grabbing a fistful of Gabriel’s hair, and wrenched him up from the floor.

Gabriel cried out, clutching at his silver hair. Jequn’s firm grip held him so he could barely touch the mosaic floor. His toes desperately tried to alleviate some of the pressure from his scalp. Tears stung his eyes, and he glared through them with hatred for his father.

“I will tolerate nothing less than perfection from you,” said Jequn. “It is clear to me now that your values are misplaced, but I will teach you the errors of your ways. When you test for the advanced coursework, your score will be perfect, or I will hurt Alexiel. Any error you make, I will take out of his flesh. Is that simple enough for you to understand?”

Horrified, Gabriel said, “You can’t do that. The instructors-”

A quick shake silenced Gabriel as pain radiated through his scalp. “I can, Gabriel, and I will. And you will know that every wound on his body is your fault. Do you understand?”

Gabriel desperately tried to think of something to say, something to turn the situation around, but Jequn shook him again, and he couldn’t think of anything but the pain. “Yes!”

“Yes?”

“Yes, sir, I understand!” 

“Good boy,” said the Isten with a condescending smile. He released Gabriel’s hair, and the silver haired boy dropped to his knees. He kept his eyes downcast. He may have gotten what he wanted from his father, but at what cost?

Jequn turned back to his bath, which was no longer steaming hot, but still warm. “Oh, and Gabriel, if you fail me, you will discover how much kinder it would have been to leave him here with me.” He stepped into the pool, sinking down until it covered his shoulders and wings. “You’re dismissed. I expect you out of this manor by first light or I will deal with you myself.”

“Yes, sir,” said Gabriel. Shoulders slumped and wings limp, he picked himself off the floor. He left the room without raising his eyes from the mosaic floor. He walked out of Jequn’s chambers, trying to understand how everything had become so twisted. He felt defeated and helpless. 

Walking through the main hall, he saw a shadow surrounded by light from Alex’s chambers. Gabriel looked up. Alex stood in the archway, peering up at him with his wide black eyes.

“Brother? Y-You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine. I told you to stay in your rooms.”

“I didn’t know i-if you would come back. I thought he might-” his soft voice broke off, struggling to hold back tears. 

Gabriel sighed. He walked up to Alex and gently ruffled his black hair. “It’s okay, Alex. You get to come to the academy. He’s going to arrange transport for you, and you’ll be there by the time classes start back up after the Harvest break.”

“Really?” Alex looked as if he couldn’t believe something like that could be true. That expression hurt Gabriel’s chest more than anything Jequn had inflicted on him. 

“Yes, really. You’re going to be at the academy with me.”

“But how? How did you get him to agree?” 

“I told him I wouldn’t let him hurt you anymore, and I agreed to start taking some advanced classes.” Gabriel smiled bitterly. He touch his neck, which he knew would be a mess of mottled purple. “He isn’t very happy with me right now. I have to leave for the academy by first light.” 

“I’m so sorry, Brother. I shouldn’t have-”

“Stop. Don’t, Alex. I’m your big brother. I have to protect you.” Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to tell Alex that he had failed that. He couldn’t tell him he would be in just as much danger at the academy, if not more. 

No, it was still Gabriel’s responsibility to protect Alex. He decided then that he would do everything in his power to make sure the Isten had no excuse to hurt the boy again. 

Gabriel hugged Alex, surprising the smaller boy. “I’ll protect you,” he promised. He pulled back, and Alex watched him with wide eyes. “I have to leave in the morning, but you’ll be following me soon after. You’ll be okay. We’ll be together again in a few days at the academy, alright? Can you be strong until then?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, Brother.”

Gabriel smiled at him. He patted his head one more time. “Say goodbye to Hadasha for me, okay?” Alex nodded. With a determined stride, Gabriel went in his rooms to prepare for his return journey to the academy. He stopped at the entrance and waved to Alex. The little boy waved back, then Gabriel let the curtain swing shut.

Gabriel knew at that moment he would do anything to protect his little brother, forever and for always. 


	2. Gabriel: 21st Degree of Harvest, 593 DE

The book was so thick, Gabriel was certain he would break a bone if he dropped it on his foot. It sat on his desk before him, but he had yet to open the cover. Embossed on the plain brown leather was the title, _Introduction to Electromagnetic Telecommunications for Interplanetary Distribution_. It was for one of his new classes in the advanced coursework curriculum. Other students had already had four months with the material, and though he was joining in the middle of the class, he was still expected to keep up.

Staring at the book, he knew how much trouble he was in. He could barely understand _the cover_. How was he supposed to understand anything written within?

Gabriel thudded his head down on the book, his long silver hair spilling across the cover. “This is stupid,” he complained aloud. There was no way he could survive the advanced classes if this is what they were like.

Passing the exam had been nearly impossible. When Gabriel arrived back at Archridge Academy, most of the students were still gone for the Harvest break. The few that remained were there to study, like himself. He managed to find some older students who had recently passed the advanced coursework exams. After some persuasion, he convinced them to share what they remembered from the test. Bouncing between the six of them, Gabriel had been able to reconstruct most of the exam, and studied the answers until he could recite them as his own. 

The only issue had been the mathematics section. No one could remember the exact numbers and the equations baffled Gabriel no matter how many times he went over them.

But it had been enough for him to pass, even if it wasn’t the perfection his father had demanded.

Besides a few things Gabriel recently discovered while reading in his father’s library, the majority of the test covered subjects the academy just didn’t teach at the eighth year level. Usually, the earliest instructors recommended students for the exam was during the tenth year, at age fourteen, and even then, most students only passed at age sixteen. 

Gabriel was only twelve, but at the Isten Jequn’s request, Headmaster Iscriel had bent over backward to allow Gabriel a shot at the exams. Even though he passed, Gabriel knew he wasn’t ready for it.

He groaned and bounced his head against the book a couple times, wishing he could absorb the knowledge that way. The wooden door to the room opened. 

“Gabe? Are you still at that book?” asked one of his roommates.

“It’s a book, Gabe. You gotta open it,” quipped the other. 

“What would you know?” Gabriel replied. “It’s not like you’ve ever opened a book.” He raised his head up, knowing he had a partial imprint of the title reversed across his forehead.

Barachiel and Eremiel were his roommates, both first generation Ahnnak like Gabriel. They were also his best friends, and enjoyed teasing him whenever they got the chance.

“You wound me, Gabe. Straight to my heart.” Erem placed his hands over his stomach.

Barach rolled his eyes. “That’s not where your heart is,” he said. 

“Here?” Erem pointed to his right shoulder. “Or how about here?” He suggestively angled his fingers down and pointed at his crotch. When Barach laughed, Erem grinned and started grinding the air. “Aw, yeah, I got your heart right here,” he said crudely.

Gabriel sighed, smiling a little bit. He was going to miss being in class with them. “I have to read the first twelve chapters of this thing by the first degree of Justice.”

Crouching at the side of the table, Erem peered at the book like it was going to bite him. “I still don’t understand why you went and did something so stupid like joining the advanced classes.” 

“We can’t all be as lazy as you,” sneered Gabriel lightheartedly. He couldn’t explain his reasoning to his friends. They wouldn’t understand. It was safer if it remained a secret, anyway.

“Hey, I’m not lazy. I just think fun should have a higher priority than grades.” Erem poked at the book and Gabriel swatted him away.

Gabriel and Erem were the same age. They’d been in class together since their first year, always drawn together by both being children of the Isten.

Erem had a sweep of shaggy, sand colored hair across his forehead. He also had blue skin, which made him unusual, even among Ahnnak. Erem’s father, the Isten Harut, had ancient, silver-infused tattoos all over his skin. The silver saturated his system, which had no ill effects on his own body, but left all his Ahnnak offspring with a distinct blue complexion.

“If you keep having so much fun, they’ll move you into the remedial class,” scolded Barach. Erem stuck his tongue out at him. 

“I didn’t hear you complaining yesterday,” retorted Erem. Barach cuffed the back of his head, flipping Erem’s sandy hair into face. The blue skinned boy just laughed.

Barach’s mother was the Isten Pahaliah. He had her reddish-brown skin, dark brown eyes, and straight black hair. He was older than both Gabriel and Erem, but had been held back a year due to an injury.

At the beginning of his third year at the academy, a herd of aurochs were spotted wandering through the fields on the other side of the town. His classmates had dared each other to fly over and touch one. Barach was the only one brave enough or stupid enough to accept the challenge. 

The report on the incident said he succeeded, but the startled beast turned and caught him on its horn. It ripped him open from hip to shoulder. 

Erem joked that they managed to stuff all his guts back in, but missed his sense of humor. 

It took most of the following year for Barachiel to recover at his mother’s estate. When he finally returned to school, he was placed in the year he missed. He had been with Gabriel and Erem ever since.

“Listen, Gabe, I normally try to avoid agreeing with Erem on anything, but he’s right about this. You don’t belong in those classes. There’s no way you can keep up,” said Barach.

“Thanks for the support,” grumbled Gabriel.

There was a light knock twice against the door. “I’ll get it!” Erem bounced over and flung the door open. “Oh. Headmaster Iscriel.” Erem looked as disappointed as he sounded.

“Eremiel. Good to see you out of trouble, for once.” The headmaster swept past Erem, missing the mocking face the blue skinned boy made behind his back. 

Headmaster Iscriel was a very tidy Terran with neat wings and short brown hair. He was over two hundred years old, and his age showed in the grey at his temples and through his trim beard. 

Gabriel stood beside Barach and rubbed his forehead, hoping the words weren’t visible on his skin anymore. “Headmaster Iscriel. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?” The Terran held a direct link to Jequn, and Gabriel preferred not to give him any reason to report back to his father.

“Gabriel, you astounding child,” the man said, clasping Gabriel’s shoulders. “I am here to congratulate you, of course! You are definitely your father’s son. The Isten Jequn must be very proud, indeed.”

“Indeed,” Gabriel repeated, trying not to show his disdain for his father. 

“Why, you are the youngest student in the academy’s history to be accepted in this course. We all expect great things from you over the coming years.” Headmaster Iscriel grinned. “If you keep at this rate, you will reach your specialization at just sixteen! Won’t what be amazing?”

Erem made faces behind the headmaster’s back while he spoke. When Iscriel turned, the blue skinned boy stopped, looking up at the ceiling as if it held great interest. 

“As I was saying,” the headmaster continued, “what you are doing is just amazing. And I see you’re already tackling your classes! That’s great. Keep up the good work, Gabriel, and congratulations.”

“Thank you, Headmaster.”

“You know, I would have made it over to congratulate you sooner, but when I received word of your success, I was already on the road.”

Gabriel’s eyebrow twitched. “The road?” Why would he have been on the road? Terran could fly. 

“Yes. To your family estate, of course. I had a chance to speak with your father while I was there.” The headmaster puffed with pride. “It was a great honor. Of course, the voyage back took a little longer than I had planned due to your brother’s weakened constitution. That child is fortunate he had the Isten Jequn’s doting care to help him recover from the wasting disease. Very few have ever made such a miraculous recovery.”

Gabriel went rigid, staring up at the headmaster. The words came out in a whisper. “My brother?”

Iscriel nodded. “We arrived this morning. With all the urgent tasks I had waiting for me when I got back, it’s a wonder I made it over to congratulate you at all.”

“Alex is here?” Gabriel asked, straining to believe it was true. At his side, Barach appraised him curiously, but didn’t speak.

“I’ve already settled the young Alexiel into a private room in Imperial housing. I also selected a tutor and assistant to help him adjust. The lad is a few years older than you, but you may have heard of him. His name is Remiel.”

Gabriel vaguely knew of Remiel, but he couldn’t put a clear face with the name. “Alex should be here with me,” Gabriel said. 

Headmaster Iscriel chuckled. “Don’t worry about him. You just concentrate on your studies, young Gabriel.”

“No, I want him here.”

The Terran gave him a patient, almost condescending look that made Gabriel’s wings bristle. “I understand you’re concerned for your little brother, but we will take care of him. Even if you are descended from the honorable Isten Jequn, the advanced coursework is not to be taken lightly. You will need time to study and focus.” When Gabriel looked like he was going to protest again, Iscriel said, “You will be able to visit Alexiel whenever you want, but he is not changing rooms until he is healthier.”

Gabriel’s eye twitched with irritation. He would have snapped something nasty at the headmaster had Barachiel not cleared his throat and said, “Thank you for stopping by, Headmaster, but Gabriel would like to return to his studies. I’m sure you understand.”

“Hm?” The headmaster looked at Barachiel as if just noticing his presence. “Oh, yes, of course, of course.” He turned and walked to the door. “Stay out of trouble, Eremiel,” he said as he passed the blue skinned boy. “You could learn something from Gabriel.”

“I’m sure I could,” said Erem, holding the door, “but it’s probably not going to be what you want it to be.” He gave the headmaster a wide grin, and then closed the door in his face. 

Barach turned to Gabriel. “When were you going to tell us?” he asked.

“It’s not a big deal,” said Gabriel.

“You’re a terrible liar, Gabe.”

“I’ll work on that, but right now, I need to go,” he said, taking a step toward the door.

“No,” said Barach, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. “Not until you explain why you didn’t bother telling us about your brother starting classes.”

Erem strolled over to them, tossing his head and flicking his short hair back from his eyes. “Yeah, isn’t he, like, simple or something?”

Gabriel glared at the blue skinned boy. “Don’t you ever talk about him like that.”

Erem froze and held up his hands. His wings snapped out, tense. “Whoa. I’m just repeating what you told us. You said he couldn’t even fly.”

He had told them all that. He felt guilty and sick for ever believing it. Gabriel turned toward the wall, jerking his arm free of Barachiel’s hold. “Yeah, well, he got better,” he said quietly.

Barach and Erem shared a glance. They both knew there was more to it than that. Erem walked over to stand beside Gabriel, peering around his silver hair to see his face. “Well, that’s good, isn’t it? That he’s here now?”

“Yes, but…” What could he say? He couldn’t tell them the truth. Gabriel couldn’t tell anyone the truth. The Isten’s threats lingered in his mind, and he didn’t doubt his father would follow through with all of them. 

“But what, Gabe?” asked Barach, stepping closer. 

“He’s just not strong enough, yet,” Gabriel said with a sigh. “Alex has never even been outside the estate, and if I’m not with him, I don’t know what will happen.”

“Oh, you know old Crispy will take care of him,” said Erem, using their nickname for the Headmaster. “He’s got him a private room and a tutor already. The kid will catch up in no time.”

Gabriel wasn’t worried about Alex’s studies. Barach picked up on his concern. “You should go see him. After you see that he’s going to be taken care of, you can come back and tell us what happened. What really happened.”

“Yeah, sure,” Gabriel said, though he had no intention of explaining any of it to them. 

“Do you want us to come?” Erem asked, sounding almost hopeful. 

Gabriel shook his head, his tangled silver hair swaying around his face. “No. I want to see him by myself first. I’ll be back later.”

***

Leaving his friends in the room, Gabriel walked swiftly through the stone hall until he reached a foyer with stone arches leading to sunlight. He ran and leaped, throwing himself through the gap. 

Bright sunlight blinded him as he fell, wind rushing through his hair. He snapped his wings out, catching a current and gliding forward while his eyes adjusted. 

Archridge Academy was built into a fissure on the face of a sharp cliff. A waterfall had carved the fissure wider over eons, leaving a stone arch bridging the gap between the two sides. Though much of the river above had been diverted for other uses in Marut, the town above to the cliffs, the water still steadily poured down the back of the academy, creating a hazy mist of rainbows in the damp air.

Intricately carved archways covered the cliffs leading to the stone tunnels where classes took place. Scattered through the depths of the stone were student dormitories and recreational areas.

Even though all the levels connected with stairs, it was faster to fly from one side to the other than to walk behind the waterfall. Gabriel surveyed the sunlit stone as he flew, trying to remember where the Imperial housing was. It was where visiting dignitaries stayed when they arrived at Archridge. Gabriel never had reason to go there before, but he thought he remembered.

Climbing up through the air, Gabriel passed a couple other kids gliding from one side to the other. When everyone returned from the Harvest break, sometimes the air would be so thick with winged children trying to get to their next class that the academy looked like a hive, not a school. 

He reached the landing and stepped onto the stone with silken boots. He walked silently inside, looking for the symbols that marked the Imperial section. The tunnels didn’t go very far into the stone. Most of it was still lit by natural light, but in the deeper sections, oil lamps provided additional light. 

Finally, Gabriel found the area he was looking for. White paint covered the walls, and the stone opened up into a wide, sun filled cavern, lit from above by a hollow in the stone. Carefully carved steps curved around a winged statue made of marble. Water burbled quietly in the fountain at its feet. 

Gabriel heard voices from the second floor. He jumped up the stairs, propelling himself five at a time with his wings. He walked hastily toward the open door and peered inside. 

“Hello?” he called.

An older boy with bronze skin and brown, loosely curled, shoulder length hair leaned back, peering out the door. He recognized Gabriel instantly and smiled, his green eyes sparkling. “Gabriel. We were just talking about you.” He came forward, hand extended. “I am Remi-”

Gabriel pushed passed him, shoving him into the wall as he noticed his little brother sitting on the bed. “Alex!” he exclaimed, rushing over to the little boy. “You’re really here!”

Alex looked just as he had that morning when Gabriel left him at the estate. His long black hair lay perfect straight to his hips. His tiny white wings were squeezed tightly against his back. Black eyes that seemed to swirl in the light looked up at him, filling with tears as soon as he saw him.

“Brother!” Alex started to cry, holding his hands out.

Gabriel gathered him into his arms and held him tight, the fear and uncertainty of the past two weeks finally abating. “It’s okay, Alex. You’re safe now,” he said, holding his little brother and stroking his black hair. 

Alex pressed his face against Gabriel’s chest, his body shaking with silent sobs.

There was a sound behind Gabriel, and he turned, looking over his shoulder and his wing at the other boy. “Oh. You’re still here.”

The green eyed boy rubbed his arm where Gabriel had shoved him into the wall. His white wings adjusted and settled against his back. He looked between Gabriel and Alex a little uncertainly. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. You can go,” Gabriel said sharply.

“Actually, I can’t,” he replied. “I’m Remiel. I’m Alexiel’s tutor and assistant. The Headmaster assigned me to take care of him while he adjusts to being here.”

Gabriel glared at him. “He doesn’t need your help.”

Alex sniffled and looked up at Gabriel. He gripped his tiny, grey nailed fingers in the front of Gabriel’s tunic. “It’s okay, Brother. He’s nice.”

Softening his gaze, Gabriel looked at Alex. “Are you alright? Did anything happen after I left?” The boy pressed his face against Gabriel’s chest again and nodded. Gabriel felt sick. He couldn’t ask about it with Remiel in the room, though. “Hey, um, Remiel, was it?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry about before. Do you think you could get Alex something to eat?”

“We already had lunch, but I suppose it is getting close to dinner,” said Remiel, watching them. “And since you’re here, maybe you can help. Alexiel doesn’t want to take a bath, but he’s covered in dirt from the trip. I’ll go out and get him some food and clothes, if you can get him clean.”

“Clothes?” Gabriel asked. There was a large trunk along the side wall that had been sent from the estate for Alex. What did it contain, if not clothes?

Remiel made a face and waved his hand at the trunk. “Your little brother dresses like my grandmother. You can’t seriously expect him to wear that stuff around the academy.”

“No, I guess not,” Gabriel admitted.

“I’ve got a friend in the textile department,” said Remiel. “I’m sure we can find a few extra outfits for him.”

Gabriel regarded Remiel. The boy really did just seem to be there to help. He felt guilty for being so suspicious of him. “That would be nice of you,” he said.

Remiel peered around Gabriel and smiled broadly at Alex. “Hey, Alexiel. I’m going out to get you some more food and clothes, okay? Can you be good for your brother while I’m gone?”

Alex nodded quickly and whispered, “Yes.”

“Alright,” Remiel said with a grin. He held his hand out flat to the boy. “Remember what I showed you?” 

Timidly, Alex reach a hand out and tapped Remiel’s palm with his fingertips. He immediately withdrew his hand and buried his face against Gabriel, embarrassed. 

A little spark of jealousy briefly lit in Gabriel’s chest. Alex had only been there a few hours, and already he comfortable with someone else. He didn’t understand why, but it made him angry. 

Gabriel smothered the feeling quickly. Alex needed to be able to make friends at the academy, and Remiel would be able to help him do that faster. 

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Remiel said. He walked out the door with a smile and a wave.

Gabriel squeezed Alex tightly around his shoulders, then released him. “Are you hurt? How did you get here?”

Alex wiped his nose on his long sleeve. “We rode in a carriage.”

“With Headmaster Iscriel?” 

Alex nodded and looked down, hiding behind his hair. In a quiet voice, he said, “I haven’t changed clothes yet.”

“Don’t worry, Alex. If you don’t like what Remiel brings back, you don’t have to wear it. You can keep wearing your robes.”

“It’s not that… I haven’t changed clothes since I left.”

“Since you left?” Gabriel’s eyes widened. “You mean since you left the manor? That was two days ago!”

“Three,” Alex corrected softly. 

“Three days! Why haven’t you changed?” he yelled.

“I c-can’t by myself.” Alex’s eyes filled with tears again.

“Oh, don’t cry Alex,” Gabriel said, lowering his voice and feeling like a jerk. “I’ll help you, so don’t cry. Remiel would have helped you, too. That’s what he’s here for, you know.”

“He’s not a servant.”

“No, they don’t use servants at Archridge. He’s a student like us, but he’s also going to help you. You can let him help with your baths.”

Alex shook his head rapidly. “I don’t want him to see.”

Gabriel sighed. “Alright. Come on, Alex. I’ll show you how the baths work.” He guided Alex into the large attached bathing room. He closed the door behind them to keep the moisture trapped. 

There was a small stone bath, barely wide enough to sit in. He twisted the faucet on the wall. Air sputtered and coughed in the pipes before a burst of water came falling out the showerhead. It fell into the stone basin, then swirled down the drain.

Gabriel felt the water. “Always check the temperature,” he explained. “This water comes from the the boiler room. It’s kept warm for showers, but sometimes it can get too hot. Let it run for a little while, and it’ll cool off.” He pulled his hand out of the water. “This is fine, though.”

“It doesn’t fill up the tub?” asked Alex, watching with wide eyes.

“If you want it to, it can, but they’re not very big. This is easier and faster, anyway, once you get the hang of it. You don’t have to get your wings wet, either.”

Alex reached out, letting the water touch his hand. He smiled. “It’s like rain,” he said with wonder.

Gabriel smiled at him. “Alright. Let’s get you out of those dirty clothes so you can try it out.”

Alex’s wings tightened against his back. His smile faded. “I don’t want Remiel to see.”

“He’s not here. It’s just me,” said Gabriel reassuringly. He gathered Alex’s long black hair and draped it over one shoulder. He started working on the knot at the back of the boy’s neck. After three days, the knot was tight and almost impossible to undo. He was about to get a knife to cut it when he finally managed to get a loop free. The rest came off easy.

The fabric slid from Alex’s thin, pale body in strips. As it revealed more of his skin, Gabriel understood what Alex desperately didn’t want Remiel to see. 

The fabric dropped to the floor. Parallel stripes of burnt flesh marred Alex’s back in precise lines. Burns were always slower to heal, and the skin puckered and scabbed along the dark lines. Bruising was still visible, a testament to how deeply damaged the boy must have been. 

As he counted the lines from just below Alex’s wings to the backs of his thighs, Gabriel felt sick. “Seventeen,” he whispered with horror. 

Alex peered back at Gabriel over his shoulder, his swirling black eyes watching him. “The morning I left, before the carriage ride, Father took me into his room. He… He held me down and then took a hot iron and-” 

Gabriel wrapped his arms around Alex and hugged him from behind, careful not to crush his wings. “You’re safe now. You’re away from him. I won’t let him hurt you anymore.” He pressed his face against his little brother’s dirty black hair. “I promise.”

Alex tensed a little as Gabriel held him. He touched Gabriel’s arm lightly. “Can I get in the water now?” he asked quietly.

Gabriel released the young boy. “Yeah, go ahead.” 

Alex climbed in. At first, he only let it fall on his legs. Then he stuck his arms in. Before Gabriel could say anything, he put his whole body in, wings too. His hair hung in a wet sheet, plastered to his body, but Alex was grinning.

Gabriel sighed and shared a small smile with the boy. “Every time you get your wings wet, you’re going to have to preen them. Especially now that you’re going to start flying.”

There was a little compartment off to the side that held soaps and lotions. Gabriel helped Alex wash his hair, getting days of grime off him. Then he let Alex play in the water. Besides when he had been with the pardua Hadasha in the jungle, it was the happiest Gabriel had ever seen his little brother.

By the time Gabriel got Alex out of the bath and dried off, Remiel had returned with clothes and food. He passed the bundle of fabric through to Gabriel without glancing in, and Gabriel helped Alex dress.

Remiel was right. It was a much better outfit for the black-haired boy. Soft knit leggings covered his legs to the middle of his shins. The long tunic reached to his knees. It was short sleeved, and crossed around his waist in the back, but tied in the front. It was simple, easy to put on, but Alex still felt comfortable in it. 

It hid almost all the burns on his back, too. The rest were covered by his fluffy little wings.

They emerged from the bathing room and closed the door behind them. Remiel had a basket of food sitting on the corner. 

“Rotika?” offered the older boy. Gabriel declined, but Alex happily accepted the food. 

Gabriel climbed onto the bed and patted the area before him. “Sit here so I can fix your wings,” he told Alex. His little brother sat and continued to nibble at the food. 

With familiar ease, Gabriel slid his fingers along Alex’s damp feathers, wicking water off and laying them flat. It was tedious, but he went about it methodically. Every once in a while the boy before him would shiver, but he never complained.

Remiel worked on unpacking Alex’s trunk, complaining about the old fashions styles it held the whole time. He didn’t seem to mind that neither Alex or Gabriel responded to him. He just talked. Any time Alex finished a piece of food, he would hand him another, then resume his discussion with himself, while Alex happily devoured the food. 

It was a while before Gabriel realized Remiel was talking so much just to get Alex used to his presence, but it was working. The young boy who had never been around anyone besides family and servants seemed at ease with Remiel. 

Remiel finished unpacking the trunk before Gabriel was done with Alex’s wings. He sat on the closed box, shrugging his shoulders to lift his wings so he didn’t sit on the longest feathers. Remiel’s white wings were almost twice as big as Gabriel’s, which made the silver haired boy estimate him to be around fifteen or sixteen. 

Remiel crossed his ankle over his knee and said “So, Alexiel, you never learned to preen, huh?” 

Gabriel stiffened, about to tell Remiel to mind his own business, but Alex answered. “No. My wings broke and I wasn’t allowed to fly, so I just didn’t try.”

“Wasn’t allowed to-” A sharp look from Gabriel over the top of Alex’s head cut Remiel’s words off short. “I see,” he said. “Well, you’re going to have to learn. Once classes start back up, your brother is going to be busy and won’t have time to do it for you.”

“I’ll have time,” Gabriel insisted. He bumped his forehead gently against the back of Alex’s head while his fingers straightened the vane of another feather. “I’ll always have time for you.”

“Can’t you help, too, Remiel?” Alex asked innocently.

“It’s not really, um, appropriate for me to touch your wings,” Remiel explained tactfully. “I can help if I have to, but you really need to learn to do it yourself.”

Alex glanced back at Gabriel. “How do I do it?” he asked.

“You want to try?”

The little boy nodded. “Yes, Brother.”

Gabriel was almost done, but there was enough left that Alex could practice. He slid over on the bed so he was sitting next to him. “Okay, so first, bring your wing under your arm, like this,” he said, demonstrating with his own wing. He brought his right wing around and tucked it under his right arm. He spread it flat against his chest. 

Alex tried to do that, but every time he lifted his arm, his wing would raise as well. Gabriel gave him a little nudge, and Alex finally captured the wing under his arm. He spread it out across his chest, looking down at the white feathers curiously.

“Next, find anything that feels weird.”

“Weird?”

“Out of place. Like this one,” he said, pointing to one of the feathers he hadn’t straightened yet. “You want all your feathers to lay smooth and in the same direction. Flatten the barbs so they line up without any gaps. Like this, see?” Gabriel demonstrated on a feather of his own wing so Alex could watch closely. 

Concentrating hard, Alex tried repeating the motion. His fingers awkwardly tugged and pulled at his feather, trying to twist it into a flat shape. 

“It’ll take practice,” Gabriel said when Alex started to look frustrated. “And I’ll help you whenever you need me to. Okay?”

Alex nodded and released his wing from under his arm. Gabriel slid back behind him and finished the task.

“You know, for brothers, you two don’t look much alike.” Both Gabriel and Alex tensed. The older boy snorted back a laugh. “Lucky. I have an older brother and an older sister, and they look exactly like me. Nobody can tell us apart. All the instructors keep calling me by their names, even though they graduated over six years ago.”

Gabriel exhaled a slow sigh of relief. “Are you Terran or Ahnnak?” he asked, a little ashamed that he didn’t already know.

Remiel smiled widely. “Ahnnak, third generation.” With a grandeur commonly reserved for formal settings, he announced, “Remiel, son of Nuriel, daughter of Nakir, son of the Isten Abbadon.” He gave a little half bow, bringing his hand over his heart.

The corner of Gabriel’s mouth twitched up at the dramatic presentation. He responded, “Gabriel, first born and heir of the Isten Jequn.” He nudged Alex. “Do you know how to give your formal title?”

“A-Alexiel, son of…” the little boy hesitated.

“You say, ‘Alexiel, son of the Isten Jequn.’”

“Alexiel, son of the Isten Jequn,” repeated Alex.

“Very good.” Gabriel finished with the last of Alex’s feathers. He slid off the bed and stood in front of Alex, blocking the line of sight between Remiel and the boy. He leaned in close to his brother’s face. “Whenever you introduce yourself, that is _always_ the way you say it, understand?”

Alex swallowed hard. “I understand.” Gabriel could see that Alex did understand. If anyone found out Alex’s father was anyone other than the Isten Jequn, they would both be in danger.

“It’s getting late,” Gabriel said. “You should get some sleep, Alex. I need to go back.”

Grabbing his arm, sudden panic in his eyes, Alex begged, “Don’t leave me.”

Gabriel’s heart ached. “Fine, but I’ll only stay until you fall asleep.” 

Alex’s lip trembled. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“You’re not going to be alone,” said Remiel, watching from where he sat on the trunk. “I’ll be here, too.”

“See? Now lay down.”

The little boy complied, laying on his side on the blanket. He looked up at Gabriel with wide, hopeful eyes, and Gabriel sighed. He lay down on the bed next to him. Alex wiggled closer until his nose touched Gabriel’s tunic.

“Just until you fall asleep,” Gabriel said firmly. “I have my own room I sleep in. Tomorrow you can come see me after you wake up.” Alex nodded in agreement, but he clenched his grey nailed fingers in Gabriel’s shirt. “Tell me about what you saw on the trip here,” he requested, hoping to get Alex’s mind off going to sleep. He could tell the boy was exhausted, but fighting to stay awake. After traveling so far in a carriage, anyone would be tired, but as slow as Alex’s back was healing, it was clear he desperately needed the rest.

Alex spoke quietly, barely more than a whisper. He talked about the tangled trees in the jungle and how far they stretched. He spoke of the golden fields and the great beasts he saw grazing. His eyes got heavy as he spoke of the river, the words coming in soft mumbles. His whole body soon relaxed as he drifted to sleep. 

When Gabriel was sure he wasn’t going to wake back up, he carefully opened Alex’s hand and tugged the fabric from his grip. Gabriel slid off the bed, and motioned for Remiel to follow him out of the room.

Remiel closed the door behind them. “I’m going to stay here with him tonight,” he explained. “They gave me a room a couple halls down, but I think it would be best if I stay closer until he adjusts.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel whispered, feeling guilty that he couldn’t stay as well. “Remiel, I need you to do me a favor.” 

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I need you to protect Alex.”

Remiel looked concerned. “Of course I will.”

“I’m serious. You can’t let anything happen to him. He’s…”

“Fragile,” Remiel said softly. “I get it.”

“It’s more than that. I don’t think it’s safe for him, even here. Just promise me.”

“Yeah, I promise, Gabriel. I’ll take care of him.”

Even with the promise, Gabriel didn’t feel any more at ease. “Bring him to see me whenever he wants. I’ll stop by when I can, but… I can’t be with him all the time. I have to study.”

“That’s right,” said Remiel, suddenly remembering. “You passed the exams. Everyone’s been talking about it. How many points did you miss, anyway?”

Grimly, Gabriel answered. “Seventeen. I missed seventeen.”


	3. Remiel: 22nd Degree of Harvest, 593 DE

The following morning, humming contently, Remiel trotted through the stone halls carrying breakfast and a new set of clothes for his young charge. When Headmaster Iscriel selected him to tutor and care for the second born son of the Isten Jequn, Remiel hadn’t known what to expect. At worst, he figured he’d be dealing with a younger version of the arrogant, silver-haired Gabriel. At best, maybe the kid would be too shy to cause trouble. Whatever he had been expecting, Alexiel was not it.

As strange as the young, black-haired Ahnnak was, Remiel found the way his older brother interacted with him even stranger. Gabriel was well known at the academy for being brash and contemptuous, which was fitting for the heir of an Isten, but still obnoxious. 

Even though there were three years between them, Remiel had heard of some of the pranks Gabriel and his friends pulled. They ranged anywhere from filling the water pipes with frozen slugs, to giving one of the halls a low electrical charge, which made everyone’s hair stand on end for a day. Harmless stuff, but still childish. 

Yet watching the way Gabriel helped straighten Alex’s feathers, the silver-haired Ahnnak had not seemed childish. As he lay with Alex until the boy fell asleep, Remiel found it oddly endearing, though not something he ever would have expected from someone like Gabriel. 

Balancing the basket of food, a kettle of tea, and the change of clothes precariously, Remiel opened the door to Alex’s assigned room and entered. “I’m back, Alexiel!” he sang as he walked in. He stopped at the end of the bed, chuckling with amusement at the lump curled beneath the woven blanket. “Or I guess you could have gone back to sleep.”

He sat what he carried on the low table then approached the bed. “Come on Alexiel, time to wake back up,” he said. It had been difficult waking the boy the first time. It didn’t seem like it was going to be any easier now.

“No,” came the muffled voice beneath the blanket.

“I brought breakfast,” he said. “And new clothes.”

The blankets pulled in tighter around the boy. “ _No_.”

Remiel sighed, tapping his foot, trying to think of a plan. If it had been Remiel’s grandmother trying to wake him, she would have just shaken him until he got up or fell out of bed. 

He didn’t think that would work for Alex. Remiel had quickly discovered the boy didn’t like being touched. Except by Gabriel, of course.

Ah, that was it! 

“If you get out of bed, we’ll go see Gabriel this morning.” 

Cautiously, the blanket pulled back to reveal a tangle of black hair and squinting black eyes. “We can?”

“Yes, but only after you get dressed and eat breakfast, in that order.”

Alex tucked himself back under the blanket. “I can’t.”

“You can’t get out of bed?” 

“I can’t walk around out there.” 

Remiel tilted his head. “Well, you certainly can’t stay in this room for the rest of your life.”

“I think I can try.”

“Nothing is going to happen to you out there. I’ll be with you the whole time. What are you afraid of?”

“There are people out there,” he said, his voice muffled against the mattress. 

“There are people in here,” replied Remiel, putting his hands on his hips.

“Just you.” 

“So I’m not people anymore, am I?” huffed Remiel. He smiled. “Good to know.” 

Yesterday, he had spent the whole morning and afternoon with Alex before Gabriel arrived, even though the Headmaster had only asked him to meet with the boy briefly. It didn’t feel right leaving him alone in a new place, so Remiel stayed and talked, slowly getting the nervous child accustomed to him. They had worked up to timid high-fives by the time Gabriel showed up. 

“I’m still not going to let you stay in this room today,” Remiel insisted. “You’re going to get up, you’re going to get dressed, and we’re going to go out.”

“I’m not.”

Remiel pursed his lips. “What would Gabriel say if he heard you say that?”

The little face peeked back out from beneath the blanket. Remiel raised his eyebrows, waiting. Alex pushed the blanket away and sat up. He still wore yesterday’s outfit. Wings that looked too small for his age squeezed against his back. “Maybe we can go out a little,” he conceded.

“I think that would be a very good idea,” said Remiel with a grin. “Here are your clothes. Go get cleaned up in the bathroom and try to change. I’ll be here to help if you need it.”

Alex slipped off the other side of the bed and padded barefoot over to the bathing room. From beneath the white feathers, Remiel saw a glimpse of the yellowing bruising that striped the small boy’s back. He frowned, but didn’t say anything.

When Alex came back out, he had managed to dress himself, but he couldn’t get the shirt to cross properly in back. He tied it in front anyway and sat down for breakfast. 

“Not bad,” said Remiel. “Do you want some help with the tie?”

“No. It’s fine,” the boy insisted. He ate a piece of fruit from the basket. 

Remiel sat on the floor across from him at the low table. “It’ll be more comfortable if it’s crossed right.”

“It’s fine,” Alex repeated.

With a sigh, Remiel picked up a citron. “Can I tell you a story?” he asked.

Black eyes watching Remiel warily, Alex nodded.

“My family is descended from the Isten Abbadon.” While he spoke, Remiel slid his fingers under the thin rind of the citron and peeled it back, revealing its white pith. “I’ve never met him, but he had two children. The second was my grandfather, Nakir.”

“I thought…” Alex stopped himself. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. What were you going to ask?” Remiel broke the peeled fruit in half and held out a piece out to Alex.

He reached out and took the fruit. “His name. Why isn’t he…?”

“Nakiriel? My grandfather was born before that tradition started. He is the fourth oldest Ahnnak in E’din. He refused to change it after, unlike all the others. See, now Terran and Ahnnak are given that suffix as a sign of honor. It means, ‘of the sky.’” Remiel spread his wings in a shrug. “It’s too formal anymore. A lot of people have stopped using it. Like how your brother calls you ‘Alex’.”

“Oh.” The boy looked down, uncomfortable at hearing anyone else say his name like that. “Don’t they get in trouble?” he asked in a hushed voice, like he was afraid his words would anger someone. 

“No, it’s okay here. Lots of the students do it, at least between friends. In fact, most of my friends call me Rem, or Remi. You could too, if you want.”

Alex shook his head rapidly. “I can’t.” He tore off a piece of the citron pith and stuffed it into his mouth.

“It’s okay. If you ever change your mind, I won’t care.” He smiled encouragingly at the small boy.

While Alex ate, Remiel continued his story. “But people like my grandfather can be very traditional. He never changed his name because he practically considers himself an Isten.” Remiel tucked his curly hair behind his ears. “He married a Terran woman, my grandmother, a few centuries ago. They had four children together. My mom, Nuriel, was the youngest. She never really got along with Nakir, and eloped with my father when she was forty-eight. My grandfather was furious that she married for love, not for breeding. That’s actually what got her killed.”

“Your mother is dead?” whispered Alex.

“Yeah, but it’s okay. I don’t remember her. I was only a baby. See, what happened was, my father was banished for some crime, though I’ve never been able to find out what. My mother tried to rescue him and sneak him back into E’din, but they both died.”

“How?” asked the small boy.

“I don’t know. No one would ever say.” Remiel looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “After that, me and my siblings were sent to live with Nakir. His wife, my grandmother, took care of us while she could, but she died of old age after I started attending the academy. Since then, I’ve done everything I can to avoid going home.”

“Why?” Alex asked, his black eyes watching him inquisitively.

“You have to understand, my grandfather isn’t a bad man, but… There’s this liquor the Isten drink. Sometimes, he’ll drink it too, even though he isn’t a real Isten, just an Ahnnak. It changes him. When we go home, if he drinks, anything can set him off. He used to whip us until we couldn’t stand.

“We always tried to run, of course, but we all look the same. He didn’t care who he caught.” Remiel closed his green eyes, remembering. “But I was the smallest, and they were both some much quicker…” He sighed and looked at Alex. “What I mean is, I understand. You don’t have to hide from me.” He gave Alex a crooked smile. “Besides, that’s part of why I was lucky enough to be here during the Harvest break while the Headmaster was looking for someone to help you.”

Alex sat, thinking slowly as he finished the last of the citron. Then he stood, determined even though his wings trembled. “Remiel? Could you help me with the shirt?” he asked, trying to hide his uncertainly.

“Sure, Alexiel. I can help.”

***

Remiel took Alex through the stone corridors that led to the eighth year rooms. The boy stayed close to him, but kept peering through the archways to look at the sunlit cliffs outside.

“We’re high,” he said, too nervous to get close enough to see the ground below. There was a pool beneath the waterfall, but it sank deeper, flowing back into the earth, so no one was allowed to swim in it. All the students still did, but they were careful to stay in the shallows. 

“We’re about a thousand cubits up,” Remiel explained.

“Cubits?”

“One cubit is about the same as the distance from your elbow to the ends of your fingers.” As Remiel spoke, Alex held his arm up and stared at it. He looked back over the edge. 

“That’s far.” 

“It’s not so bad. When you’re stronger, you’ll have no problem flying around out there.”

Alex scooted back to the far side of the stone walkway. “No thanks.”

It took nearly ten minutes to walk the path behind the waterfall to reach the room Gabriel shared with his two friends. Remiel knocked sharply.

Eremiel flung open the door, tilting his head and glowering at him blearily. “What are you doing here?”

Gabriel’s hand covered Erem’s blue face and shoved him back and out of the way. “Alex! Come in,” he said, grinning at his little brother. 

Alex turned shy, peering out from behind his hair at the blue-skinned Eremiel. Gabriel followed his gaze, and then waved it away dismissively. “That’s just Erem. He’s harmless, but a moron.”

“Hey!” came the loud, annoyed objection.

“Come on.” Gabriel held his hand out to Alex. The boy took it and followed him into the room. “This is where I live,” Gabriel explained. “That bed is mine.” He pointed to the top of the triple bunks. “And the whole desk is mine.” He point to the desk with the large, open book spread across it.

“Yeah, cause you’re the only one dumb enough to need to study,” Eremiel quipped, throwing himself down on the lowest bunk. “What’s he doing here?” He lifted his chin at Remiel. 

“Don’t be a jerk, Erem,” Gabriel snapped. “Remiel is Alex’s tutor.”

“So? He doesn’t need to come in the room.”

The silver-haired boy glared menacingly back at his friend. The look sent chills down Remiel’s spine, even though it wasn’t directed at him. 

Erem threw his arms behind his head and faced the wall. “Whatever. It’s my room, too,” he grumbled.

Shaking his head, Gabriel turned back toward Alex. 

“How are doing today? Are you still sore from the, uh, carriage ride?”

Alex nodded his head quickly, the motion barely noticeable. “It’s okay. Remiel helped fix my shirt.” 

Gabriel’s ice-blue eyes turned to Remiel, guarded and apprehensive. “Thank you for helping my brother,” he said.

“I promised you I would take care of him,” Remiel replied, trying to reassure Gabriel he was on their side. The silver-haired boy didn’t look convinced. 

“What are you reading?” Alex asked, pointing across the room to the desk. 

“That is my class book,” Gabriel said, turning his attention back to his little brother. “ _Electromagnetic Telecommunications for Interplanetary Distribution_.” 

Clueless, Alex just blinked at him. 

With a patient smile, Gabriel explained. “You know the tablets Father always reads? This book explains how they’re able to send the signals across E’din and between Ahn and Ter. It’s all about binary signals bounced across the magnetic pulses and-”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Erem said angrily, hopping off the bed. “Don’t pretend like you know what you’re talking about. You spent the entire night reading that book, and you’re only one chapter in.”

“Just because you’re too stupid to understand anything, doesn’t mean I’m not capable of learning it,” Gabriel shot back. 

“You didn’t learn anything for the test, Gabe. You _cheated_ ,” the blue skinned boy accused. 

“I did not cheat!” Gabriel growled back menacingly.

“You sure as shit didn’t pass on your own!”

Remiel was certain the boys were going to get into a fight. He didn’t want Alex caught in the middle of it. “We can come back later.” Remiel motioned for the black-haired boy to come to him. “Come on, Alexiel, let’s go.”

Alex grabbed Gabriel’s tunic, pressing his face against the fabric. His little fists bunched the silk tunic tightly in his hands. “No. I don’t want to,” he said.

“Alexiel-”

“No!” he yelled, and the intensity of the word made Remiel step back. 

Gabriel snapped back around, suddenly focused on Alexiel instead of his petty argument with his friend. “Alex? Calm down,” he said softly but urgently. Gabriel’s wings spread tense behind him. He held his hands up in the air, not touching the small boy clinging to him.

That was when Remiel sensed it. There was a vibration in the air, something unfamiliar, and it emanated from the black-haired child.

Clenching his tiny fists tightly in Gabriel’s tunic, Alex closed his eyes and screamed, “No! I don’t want to go!”

The air crackled. Darkness sparked around Alex’s hands, and the strange energy disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

Slowly, Alex stepped back from his brother. His lower lip trembled. He took in quick, shallow huffs of air as he looked at where he had been touching Gabriel’s clothing.

For a moment, Gabriel could only stare down the front of his body. His tunic, a pale yellow and white silk weave, was slowly dissolving. It flaked away to grey dust, like ash. It started to reveal his flat stomach, spreading out wider with every passing second.

As soon as Gabriel realized what was happening, he ripped the tunic off and threw it to the ground where it continued to dissolve. His eyes were wide, and he was breathing fast, scared. “Alex, what did you do?”

Sniffling back tears, Alex whimpered, “I’m sorry, Brother.” He started to back away, but swayed. His eyes rolled back into his head. The little boy fell, and Gabriel lunged forward, barely catching him before he landed on his small white wings. 

“Get out,” Gabriel ordered, looking between Remiel and Erem. He held the unconscious child tight to his chest.

“I should get Medic Haniel,” said Remiel, stepping forward. He wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened.

“He’ll be fine,” Gabriel said sharply, “just get out, both of you. Alex needs to rest. He’ll be fine.” He said it like he was trying to convince himself. “I’ll bring him back to his room after he wakes up.”

Remiel was going to object, but Eremiel swung off the bed and stalked over, scowling. He shoved Remiel out the door before him into the stone hallway. He slammed the door shut and grumbled, “I hate being kicked out of my own room.”

“But Alexiel-”

“You heard him. He’ll be fine. What do you care anyway? You’re just the tutor. You shouldn’t have brought that brat over here.”

“Excuse me?!” Remiel bristled, glaring at Erem as he felt the need to defend his young charge. “Alexiel is not a brat! He’s just been very sick for most of his life.” 

“If he’s so sick, then he shouldn’t be at Archridge,” Erem snapped back. 

Barachiel, the third Ahnnak in Gabriel’s group of friends, came around the corner then, holding a couple extra pieces of bread. He frowned as he saw Erem and Remiel standing in the hall. 

“What happened?” he asked. Barachiel was in the same year as Gabriel and Eremiel, but he was a year older and definitely looked it. He was taller and more muscular than both his friends. 

Remiel remembered being in his fifth year science class when word came around of Barachiel’s brush with the aurochs. His mother, the Isten Pahaliah, had even arrived at the academy like a crash of thunder on a clear day. She helped stabilize her son and bring him back to her estate, but the diagnosis had been bleak. It was big news for a while. No one was sure if he would recover. 

When he did return a year later, Barachiel was treated with a measure of awe across all the classes. During his absence, he had become a respectable and stoic Ahnnak, far removed from the impulsively brave child who nearly killed himself to touch a beast. Remiel could never understand why someone like Barachiel hung out with the likes of Gabriel and Eremiel. 

“Gabe kicked me out of the room again,” Erem complained.

“Why?”

“Because his dumb little brother passed out.”

“He’s not dumb,” Remiel retorted. 

Barachiel’s brow furrowed. “Tell me what happened.” 

“I don’t know,” said Erem, shrugging. “The kid just lost it, and-”

“Not you. You.” Barachiel pointed at Remiel.

“I brought Alexiel over to visit his brother. Then Gabriel and Eremiel started to argue, and Alexiel just, kind of… snapped.”

Erem crossed his arms. “That kid is weird. He did something to Gabe’s shirt and it just started falling apart. Then he fainted.”

“He’s been sick!” Remiel replied angrily. “This is his first time outside his home.”

“He’s a brat,” Erem snapped back, “and you shouldn’t have brought him over.”

Barachiel sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Alright, stop arguing. Is the kid going to be okay?”

“Gabriel says he is, but I’m not so sure,” said Remiel. “I should really go get the medic.”

Barachiel held up his hand to stop him as he tried to walk by. “Wait. If Gabe says he’ll be okay, we have to trust him. There’s something more going on with those two.”

Remiel sighed. “You noticed it too?”

“Yes, but Gabe won’t talk about it. He just says that his brother got better, so now he’s taking classes. Also, that his father asked him to take the advanced coursework exam.” Barachiel held a piece of bread out to Erem, and the blue-skinned boy snatched it and started ripping off big chunks with his teeth. Grumbling, he spun and walked down the hall toward the foyer while he ate.

Very softly, Barachiel said, “I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

Remiel hesitated, doubting whether he should say anything. “There are these marks on Alexiel’s back,” he whispered. “I think they’ve been healing for days, but they look bad. I can’t imagine how much pain that child had to have been in to ride in a carriage for three days with those marks. Do you think Headmaster Iscriel…?”

Barachiel shook his head. “No, that Terran only cares about the academy’s image, his pride, and the approval of the Isten. He wouldn’t hurt anyone. If Gabe’s brother didn’t say anything about being in pain, I bet he even didn’t notice.”

“So you think it happened before he left.” That’s what Remiel thought, too, but it was good to have another’s opinion. 

“I do. And for some reason, Gabe blames himself.” 

It was a difficult situation, one Remiel didn’t know the best course of action for. If what he thought had happened to Alex was actually what happened, he didn’t know who he could trust to talk to.

“So what do we do?” Remiel asked. 

Barachiel looked at the dorm door. “I think, for now, we just have to trust Gabe. Maybe they’ll talk about it when they’re ready.”

“And if they don’t?”

He shrugged, his wings raising with the motion. “Then I guess we’ll just have to keep helping them until they do.” He tossed the second piece of bread to Remiel. “I need to calm Erem down. I’ll talk to you later.” 

“Sure,” Remiel said, catching the bread.

Barachiel jogged down the hall. Remiel wondered how much trouble they were actually dealing with. He thought about staying until Gabriel would let him back in, but he realized Barachiel was right. They had to trust Gabriel to know what was best for Alex. 

He ate the bread as he walked back up through the stone halls, lost in thought.


	4. Alex: 22nd Degree of Harvest, 593 DE

When Alex woke, he was laying on his stomach in a strange bed again. He blinked slowly, trying to remember where he was and what happened. Slowly, his new reality crept back in. 

He was at Archridge Academy. He was in Gabriel’s room. He had destroyed his brother’s shirt. 

Across from where Alex lay, Gabriel sat at his desk, holding his head in his hands as he stared down into an open book. His wings spread wide behind him, agitated. Gabriel’s eyes traveled back and forth across the same section of the page, his lips moving slightly as he repeated the words. He looked frustrated. 

Alex closed his eyes again. He wondered if it was okay to go back to sleep. His back still hurt. The carriage ride had not helped him heal. He was used to Jequn hurting him, but after Gabriel left the estate, it had been different. 

Jequn ignored him. He avoided looking at him, and the few times he did speak to him, it was in clipped, short tones. It was almost like the Isten was angry, but at the same time, it was something else, some other emotion Alex was not familiar with. Something sad.

At first, Alex was relieved. No more Holloway, no more pain, no more fear of being punished for something just because Jequn liked to see him bleed. He felt safe in his rooms for the first time since he could remember.

But every day that passed, the effects of Holloway in his system faded more. Emotions he didn’t know how to control overwhelmed him. He was alone, and no one would speak to him. It was what he wanted, what Gabriel had struggled so hard to obtain for him, but the isolation was too much.

It was like he didn’t exist anymore.

Even spending time with Hadasha couldn’t alleviate the turmoil inside him. She lay with him for hours when he visited, but her calming presence wasn’t enough. His emotions felt jittery and broken, and he had no one to turn to who could help him subdue his feelings. 

The one time he acted out, coming in late to dinner, covered in mud and twigs from the jungle, his mother had merely looked down her nose at him and said, “Sit down. You’re embarrassing me.” Jequn hadn’t even looked up from his tablet. 

Frustrated and mad, Alex balled his hands into fists and screamed. He stomped his feet and thrashed his wings. He threw himself on the floor. 

His mother turned her back on him, her fluffy white wings twitching with irritation. Without looking up, Jequn snapped his fingers once. A servant came out and picked Alex up off the floor, kicking and screaming, and carried him up to his chambers.

He remained in his rooms, throwing things and screaming until he was so exhausted he just curled up on the floor and slept. When he woke, everything was back where it was supposed to be, but no one was there. Even Indara, the servant tasked with caring for him, was distant and silent during most of her visits, probably under orders from the Isten she couldn’t disobey. 

It was too much for him to handle.

Toward the end, Alex almost wished Jequn would just hit him and let him apologize like he used to. He couldn’t stand the loneliness anymore. 

He regretted that brief, fleeting thought immediately the morning the carriage arrived to take Alex away from the estate. He ate breakfast with Jequn in silence until the Isten placed his tablet down with a sharp click. Jequn stood, his triple set of wings settling against his back with a heavy rustling of feathers. As he walked behind Alex, he reached down and plucked him from the bench. He wrapped an arm around Alex’s waist and carried him dangling from his hip. 

Jequn went up the stairs and to his chambers. Fear and panic made Alex struggle, but he was helpless against the strength of the Isten. When they reached Jequn’s office, the man dropped him on the floor. A finger to the back of Alex’s head sent a jolt of electricity through his small body, paralyzing him and blinding him instantly. All Alex could think was, _No, not this_ , as Jequn removed his clothes and arranged his rigid body. 

From past experience, Alex knew that until Jequn released the trapped electrical current, there was nothing he could do. He was at the Isten’s whim, completely blind and helpless.

Naked, face down on the floor with his cheek pressed against the worn wood, Alex felt the Isten stretch his arms up over his head. Cold bands of ice followed Jequn’s fingertips over his wrists, binding him in place. Jequn pulled his legs straight down until Alex’s electrically charged body was stretched tight. He drew bands of ice over each of Alex’s ankles, too. 

When he finished anchoring him to the floor with ice, Jequn touched his finger to the back of Alex’s head again, pulling the electricity from his body. It took a couple seconds, but Alex blinked until his vision returned to him. He still couldn’t move. The ice numbed his skin where it held him pinned to the floor.

Jequn crouched down, pressing Alex’s wings straight up along his back. He squeezed them together over the back of Alex’s neck and created a frozen arc of ice like a yoke that held the child’s head and wings immobile. The cold ice was already starting to melt and drip down into his feathers. Alex whimpered uncomfortably, hating the feeling, but he couldn’t struggle. His body was spread too tight for him to move at all.

Metal scraped across wood as Jequn lifted a long iron rod from the floor. His fingers encircled the end, gliding down, forcing heat into the metal until it glowed red and the air turned hazy around it.

Alex couldn’t remember if he had begged, but he knew he screamed as Jequn struck him with the hot iron. Each impact broke his skin and sealed it shut with a sizzle of flesh. The Isten continued methodically until there were seventeen even lines from beneath Alex’s wings to the backs of his thighs. 

After he was finished, Jequn just left Alex on the floor crying. Normally, the Isten would have explained why Alex deserved the punishment. He would have carried Alex to bed, laid him out, and admired the blossoming bruises. He would have given Alex a chance to earn his forgiveness. 

But he didn’t.

Jequn just walked away. 

After days of being ignored, it was too much. He sobbed like his heart was breaking, unable to ignore the feeling within him that told him he had been abandonded. It hurt so much, he didn’t think he could keep breathing. 

The ice slowly melted where it held him to the floor. His hands and feet were numb, his wings nearly frozen. Some of the water dripped down his spine, touching the seared flesh across his back, though it brought no relief to his marred body. 

By the time the ice melted enough for Alex to break free, he barely had the strength to move. He crawled from the cold puddle on the floor, every move agonizing. His sobs had faded to broken whimpers. The servant Indara came in, finally given permission to tend to him. She silently wrapped him in a blanket and carried him from the room as she had so many times before. 

While he struggle to control his emotions, Indara got him ready for the journey to the academy. By the time the carriage arrived that afternoon, Alex was able to stand at Jequn’s side, meek and docile, watching the strange wheeled box roll into the valley. The fabric touching his scorched and bruised flesh was irritating and terrible, but he knew better than to show his discomfort.

After speaking to the man who arrived with the carriage, Jequn loaded Alex in, ignoring the child’s pained whimpers. He sat him down on the hard seat and whispered sharply, “Not a sound.” The threat in his ice-blue eyes made Alex’s blood run cold. Alex nodded obediently, falling silent.

Before backing out of the carriage, Jequn paused. He reached out, letting Alex’s long black hair glide through his fingers. He brought the hair up to his lips and closed his eyes, breathing in Alex’s scent. Then he let the hair slip out of his hand and exited the carriage, not looking back.

The man who called himself Master of the Academy entered the carriage, sitting across from Alex. He said, “Hello, young Alexiel. I’ll be taking care of you in your father’s place.” He grinned, but Alex was wary of any man who called himself the master of anything. 

The journey was long and miserable, every bump in the road intensifying the burning sting across Alex’s backside. The man talked, but Alex only answered when he absolutely had to. It was hard enough staying quiet through the pain. 

At night, they rested in a couple small inns, where Alex was placed in a private room, per his father’s instructions, and allowed to sleep until morning. “Whatever it takes to care for the child of the Isten Jequn,” the master had said. They just wanted what was best for him.

What was best…

Alex opened his eyes, looking across the room to where Gabriel read. His brother had his hands behind his head, holding all his silver hair up in a messy tangle between his fingers. He repeated the words on the page with a whisper and a furrowed brow. 

“Brother?” 

Gabriel blinked and looked over. He released his silver hair so it fell loose around his shoulders. “Alex. How are you feeling?”

“I’m sorry,” he said. 

With a sigh, Gabriel got up and walked over to him. “It’s just a stupid shirt. Don’t worry about it.” He wore a sash of fabric now, draped across one shoulder and between his wings, pinned loosely to the hip of his pants.

“I couldn’t stop it. I was just afraid.”

“Do you know what you did?” Gabriel asked, sounding worried.

“No.”

“Has it happened before?”

“Once, in the jungle, after I found out Jequn-”

“ _Father_. You have to call him Father,” Gabriel reminded him firmly. 

Alex didn’t want to say it. “It happened _after that_ to some plants.”

“Can you control it?”

“It was an accident.”

“There are no accidents, Alex. You have to be careful.” Gabriel ran his hands back through his hair. He was definitely worried. “What you did… I’ve never seen anyone use energy like that.”

“Is it bad?” Alex whispered.

Gabriel thought about it. “Maybe. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. If the instructors find out you can do that, they’re going to start asking questions. We can’t afford to have anyone asking questions. You have to keep it under control. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Brother.” Alex pushed himself up so he was sitting on the bed, hands on his knees. “Can I stay with you?”

“Only for a little while. I have to study.”

“I can be quiet. You won’t even know I’m here. I wouldn’t even mind if I had to sleep on the floor. I-”

“Alex. No. You can’t just hide in here with me.”

“I’m not hiding,” Alex mumbled, even though that was exactly what he wanted to do.

“If I can’t keep up in these classes, they’re going to kick me out. If they kick me out, Father will probably take you out of the academy. You don’t want to go back, do you?”

“No.” Alex lowered his gaze. “I don’t want to go back, but I don’t want to be alone, either.”

Gabriel sat before him on the bed. He leaned forward until his forehead bumped against Alex’s. “You’re not alone. I’m here. Remiel is here. You’ll make friends in your classes.”

“I just want to be with you,” he whispered. Gabriel was familiar. Alex felt safer with him.

“Classes are resuming in a few days. I’m going to be busy. You’re going to be busy, too.” Gabriel leaned back, searching Alex’s eyes for understanding. “You’re going to have to be strong, Alex. You’re going to have to do some of this on your own.”

Alex’s lip quivered as he stared up into Gabriel’s blue eyes. “What if I can’t? What if I don’t learn anything? What if I really am defective?”

“No matter what Father said, you are not defective.” Gabriel reached out, tucking Alex’s black hair behind his ears. “How about this? You can come see me whenever you want, but when you do, you have to tell me about something new you learned.”

“But if I can’t-”

“You can. You will. I bet you’ve already learned a lot of new things.”

Alex thought about it. “I guess… Remiel told me a cubit is from here, to here,” he said, pointing between his elbow and his fingertips. 

Gabriel laughed and smiled. “See? You’ll be fine. Come on. I’ll take you down to the dining hall for dinner. It should be quiet still.” He slid off the bed and offered his hand to Alex. 

Even though he felt uncertain, Alex took his brother’s hand and walked with him out of the room. 


	5. Barachiel: 22nd Degree of Harvest, 593 DE

“Things were fine before,” Erem said with a heavy sigh. They sat on the edge of the open archway, looking down at the waterfall and the pool far below. He and Barachiel swung their feet over the edge, bouncing their heels against the smooth stone wall. It was warm and comfortable in the sun. They had walked around the academy for a while as Erem fumed, unwilling to talk. Now that he was ready, Barach hoped he would be able to calm him.

“He’s just a kid,” replied Barach, watching his blue skinned friend. 

“You saw how angry Gabe was when he came back last night. I don’t get it. I don’t understand why he’s doing this. He _hates_ studying, and now he’s acting like it’ll kill him if he doesn’t do it.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons.”

“But he won’t tell us!” Erem exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “I hate when he acts like this!”

“Come on, Erem, you know he’ll talk about it when he’s ready. Gabe has always been moody when he returns from any breaks he spends at home. You know what his father is like.”

Erem shook his head, his sandy eyebrows brunched together tightly. “It’s different. His brother, _that brat_ , is here now.”

“Don’t call the kid that, Erem.”

“You didn’t see the way he started screaming. Just a complete tantrum. My little sister, who isn’t even old enough to start the academy yet, would never act like that.”

“Why do you think the kid got upset?” Barach asked, hoping he could guide his friend into have some compassion for the child.

“I don’t know! Remi was there, and said it was time to leave, and then, bam! Complete melt down. And Gabe’s shirt…” Erem clenched his fists. “I don’t like him. He’s weird.”

Barach sighed heavily. “He’s only eight.”

“So?”

“He’s Gabe’s brother. That’s not going to change. Are you willing to give up being friends with Gabe just because you don’t like his little brother?”

Erem frowned. He stared down into the pool far below. Even before Barach had been moved down into their class, Gabriel and Eremiel had been best friends. The two of them were a mischievous pair, constantly getting into trouble for something. Gabriel had a quick temper, and was always getting into fights, but when he was around, no one made fun of Erem’s blue skin. 

Erem practically worshiped their silver-haired friend, and Barach suspected that was where most of his anger was coming from. Erem was afraid Gabriel wasn’t going to have time for them anymore, not with the advanced classes, and not with his sickly little brother there.

“I don’t want to stop being his friend,” Erem muttered. “I just want things to go back to how they were.” 

“We can still be his friend, even if he’s busy. It’s Gabe. He’s going to need to blow off steam sometimes. We can be there to help him when he needs it.”

With a sigh, Erem said, “I guess. It’s just going to be so boring without him in class with us.”

“Hey, I’ll still be in class with you. I’m not going anywhere. Do you think I’m boring?”

Erem laughed. “Barach, you are the most boring person I have ever met. If it wasn’t for Gabe and me, I don’t think you’d have any fun.”

Pretending to be offended, Barach gasped at his friend. “You don’t think I’m fun!?” He grinned wide, then leaned in, placing a quick kiss on Erem’s blue lips. 

A blush of purple spread across Erem’s cheeks. “Okay, maybe you’re a little fun,” he admitted, smiling at Barach. 

“That’s what I thought.” Barach shoved Erem off the high edge, then jumped down after him. Erem laughed, catching himself in the air with his spread wings. He glided away until Barach caught up, cutting him off and hovering before him. 

Erem playfully punched Barach’s arm. “You’re such a bully, Barach. I can’t believe anyone thinks you’re nice.”

With a few controlled wing beats, Barach brought himself closer to Erem, touching his friend’s hip. “Ah, but I’m _your_ bully. I won’t ever bully anyone but you.”

“Jerk,” said Erem, the purple blush across his cheeks. 

They had been in something of a relationship for the past year. It wasn’t serious, as far as Erem was concerned, but he loved the attention Barach gave him when they were alone. They were just friends. Playful, touching, kissing friends. 

It felt like more to Barach, but he knew if he tried to push it into a real relationship, he would probably lose Erem all together. And Gabriel too, since the two were inseparable. Not to mention the trouble they would get in if any of the instructors or their parents found out.

It wasn’t bad that they were both boys. It was bad that they were both Ahnnak. They were held to a higher standard, and there was no biological or social benefit to them being together. The Isten were strict, and even his doting mother would have issue with it. 

Quickly, Barach placed another kiss on Erem’s lips. “Let’s go get dinner,” he suggested.

“Sure. Fine,” Erem conceded, and he spiraled down toward the dining hall. Barach followed him leisurely. 

***

When they arrived at the dining hall, Barachiel immediately spotted Gabriel’s silver hair. He was seated with his little brother at their usual spot along the banquet tables. 

Erem stiffened, clenching his fists. “I’m not hungry.”

“Oh, stop.” Barachiel grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the table. They walked across the large, stone cavern, passing multiple wooden tables to reach their friend. “Hey Gabe. Is this your little brother?”

“Yes, this is Alex.” Gabriel looked tired. Barach couldn’t remember if he’d gone to sleep at all last night. 

Barach released Erem, who stood there looking annoyed, but at least he didn’t storm off somewhere. “Hi Alex. I’m Barach. It’s nice to meet you.” He reached across the table and held his hand out to Gabriel’s little brother to shake. 

The kid stared at his hand with wide, black eyes. He looked down, letting his long hair fall forward and hide his face. 

Gabriel sighed. “Sorry. He doesn’t like touching people. We’re working on that.”

Pulling his hand back, Barach said, “It’s okay. I don’t mind. It’s probably pretty different here than at home, isn’t it, Alex?”

The child nodded slightly, squeezing his small wings against his back like it would hide him and make him smaller. 

“You lived next to a river, right? Or was it a jungle?”

The child peered up through his black hair. “A jungle.” His voice was soft, barely more than a whisper. 

Erem huffed. “I’m hungry. I’m getting food.”

As he started to walk away, Barach called to him and said, “Get me a platter too, please?”

The blue-skinned held his hand up in a rude gesture and kept walking. Barachiel figured that was just about as good as a yes. He sat down at the table across from Alex, flipping his wings back to avoid sitting on his longer feathers.

“So, in your jungle, were there a lot of trees?” he asked Alex.

“Yes,” the little boy said. 

“Did you ever climb one?” 

He quickly shook his head ‘no.’

“That’s too bad. I bet it would have been fun. I’ve always wanted to swing through the trees like one of the simians. Have you ever seen a simian?”

Lifting his head a little more, the boy said, “There was one once, but Hadasha got it.”

“Hadasha?” Barach asked, raising his eyebrows with interest. He noticed Gabriel tense, his blue eyes turning to his little brother. 

“She’s my friend,” Alex said. He pushed his hair back from his face. His nails were an odd grey color.

“She must be very fast if she can catch a simian.”

Alex nodded. “She’s very fast, and very big, but she’s really quiet. That’s why she can catch things in the trees.”

Barach smiled. “She sounds like a pretty special person.”

“She’s not a person, she’s a-”

“Alex.” Gabriel said his name sharply. The boy cringed, looking down.

Annoyed, Barach frowned at Gabriel. “Hey, we were having a conversation. It’s rude to interrupt.”

“Hadasha is just his imaginary friend,” he lied. Gabriel was such a terrible liar. It was a wonder he ever got away with anything.

“Don’t insult my intelligence or yours by pretending that I’ll believe that. Let the kid talk.” 

Gabriel glared at him, in that sharp, cold way he got when he was about to start a fight. Barach glared back, unflinching. The thing about being thirteen was that his pride was never going allow him to let some twelve-year old kid intimidate him, not even Gabriel. 

In less time than normal, Gabriel looked away. His shoulders and wings slumped with fatigue. “Fine. Just don’t repeat it.”

“Thank you.” Barach turned back to Alex, but the boy wouldn’t look at him. There was a tremble in Alex’s wings like he was about to start crying. He was really sensitive to people arguing, Barach realized. If he saw the way Gabe and Erem usually fought, it was no wonder the kid got so upset. 

Barach held out his closed fist to Gabriel. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Gabe. We’re still friends, right?”

Gabriel bumped his fist against Barach’s knuckles. “Yeah, of course we’re friends.” He gave Barach a strange look, not sure why he was asking. Then he glanced down at Alex. “Oh… Alex? It’s okay. We weren’t really fighting. That’s just how friends talk sometimes. I’m not angry at him. I’m not angry at you either.” 

“Yeah. Gabe sounds real sharp sometimes when he talks, but he’s all fluff.”

“I’m not _all_ fluff,” Gabriel said, a twitch at the corner of his eye betraying his irritation. 

“You’re a lot of fluff, Gabe,” Barach replied, grinning. “Now, tell me about Hadasha.”

Alex shook his head, keeping his eyes lowered to the table. 

With a sigh, Gabriel said, “Hadasha is a pardua.”

Barach’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. “What? Like, a cub?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Definitely not a cub.” He nudged Alex’s arm. “It’s okay. You can talk to Barach about her.”

Alex looked up uncertainly. “What about him?”

Erem sauntered up to the table holding two wide platters laden with food. He sat one down in front of Barach, then the other across from Gabriel, where he plopped down with a sharp snap of his wings. “We got rice and roast baobab seeds today,” he said, though he had also included other common foods on the tray. 

The academy prepared large portions of rices, porridges, or cooked root vegetables for meals, but they also always had an arrangement of fruit and grains for the students to snack on during the rest of the day. Flying around campus used a lot of energy, and there was seldom a time of day when someone wasn’t searching the dining hall for more to eat. 

“You can talk to him about it, too,” Gabriel told Alex.

“Talk to me about what?” Erem asked suspiciously.

Beneath the table, Barach placed his hand lightly on Erem’s thigh. “Alex was just going to tell me about his friend, the _pardua_.”

“The fucking _what_?!”

Gabriel laughed, the first normal thing he’d done since coming back to the academy during the Harvest break. “Shh, keep your voice down,” he said, grinning. “I don’t want to be kicked out again because you’re too loud.”

Dropping his voice to a whisper, Erem hissed, “Are you two messing with me?”

Gabriel shook his head, smiling at his best friend. “No, I’m serious. Alex practically got adopted by the beast.”

Alex’s thin black eyebrows knit in frustration. Barach watched the way he reacted, curious. 

“Like, a real pardua?” Erem asked, leaning forward. “You’ve seen it?”

“It almost ate me,” Gabriel embellished.

Alex stood up, his wings puffed out behind him. The light in the room seemed to swirl in his black eyes. “Hadasha did not try to eat you,” he said, his voice stiff. 

Gabriel turned toward him. “Well, she would have, if you hadn’t been there.” He turned back to Erem. “But you can’t tell anyone about the pardua. If it gets back to my father-” He stopped. The brief joviality that had been in him faded. “Well, our father will probably track it down and kill it if he finds out.”

Alex’s lower lip quivered. His eyes brimmed with tears that didn’t spill over. Barach felt bad for him. The kid was just an emotional wreck, and his brother had about as much tact as a wild auroch in a pottery shop. 

“Well, I won’t tell anyone else about Hadasha,” Barach said reassuringly. “Your secret is safe with me.” Beneath the table, he squeezed Erem’s leg. The blue skinned boy jolted in surprise, but he understood Barach’s request. 

“Uh, yeah. Me too. I won’t say a word,” Erem promised. “But really? A pardua? How big were its teeth?”

Gabriel balled up some rice and popped it into his mouth. He looked at Alex while he chewed, waiting for him to answer. The kid’s wings twitched nervously behind him. He raised his hand up to his nose and held it flat. It took a moment for Barach to realize what he was doing.

“ _That big_?!” he exclaimed in a sharp whisper. That had to be between two to three cubits long, just for the teeth. The rest of the beast must have been enormous.

Alex dropped to the seat and put his hands in his lap. “Is it really that strange?” he asked softly.

“It’s weird, kid,” Erem said. He crunched noisily on the baobab seeds. “You’re weird.” Gabriel kicked Erem beneath the table and Erem sucked in a sharp breath, but he didn’t back down. “You’re both weird! Fiends take you, Gabriel, that hurt!” He bent down to rub his shin. 

“Don’t call Alex weird.”

“He’s got a pet pardua, Gabe. He’s weird.”

“She’s my friend,” Alex insisted in his soft little voice. 

Erem looked at Gabriel as if that made his point.

Gabriel huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you want to hear about how I fell asleep on the beast or not?”

Erem looked back and forth between the brothers, trying to tell if they were joking. When he determined they weren’t, he nodded eagerly and said, “Tell me.”

With a little smirk, in his dramatic style, Gabriel told the story while they ate dinner.

“So, one morning, we headed deep into the dark heart of the jungle that surrounds the estate. The trees ripped and tore at our flesh as if trying to push us back, but we continued on. We walked for hours until the jungle just open up before us, like stepping into a glass box covered in cut emeralds. 

“Sensing our presence, the great beast emerged from between the trees like a shadow. Sunlight glinted off her huge fangs, and she looked at me with these bright red eyes.” Gabriel paused, leaving Erem hanging to the edge of the table, holding his breath. “I thought for sure I was dead. If I had flown away, the pardua would have ripped me out of the sky before I even reached the lowest branches. But Alex,” he said, looking over at his brother with pride, “Alex just walked up to her and called her name. She started _purring_.”

“You’re kidding!” Erem gasped. 

Gabriel shook his head. “I swear on my wings, it’s true. And then, Alex introduced me to the beast as if we were at some dinner party. She walked up, just this enormous golden pardua towering over me. She sniffed me and even her nose was bigger than my head. Thankfully, she decided not to eat me.” Gabriel laughed. “Then she lay down, and Alex and I climbed up on her and slept the entire day in her fur.”

Barach watched the way Alex made little faces while Gabriel talked. The boy clearly wasn’t used to his brother’s elaborate stories. He also didn’t seem all that happy about the way Gabriel spoke of the pardua. Still, the black-haired boy remained silent. 

As far as Barach could tell, Gabriel wasn’t exactly lying about the pardua, but he was definitely exaggerating and leaving important information out. 

Erem seemed thrilled, though. “That is just the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. You know those things eat people don’t you? Why did it not eat you?”

“She’s my _friend_ ,” Alex insisted again. Gabriel reached over and ruffled his hair. 

“Yes. Alex seems to have a way with beasts. I should tell you about the stag.” He smiled a little, but as he looked at Alex, he finally seemed to pick up on some of the child’s discomfort. “Maybe another time. It’s late. We should find Remiel and get you back to your room.”

“Yes, Brother.” He gazed up at Gabriel hopefully. “Can I come see you tomorrow?” 

Gabriel motioned to Barach and Erem. “It’s their room, too. Even if you just sit with me while I study, they might be there, and they might not want you underfoot. If you want to come over, you better get their permission.”

“I don’t mind,” Barach said as the kid’s scared black eyes turned toward him. 

When Alex looked at Erem, the blue-skinned boy just huffed. “Why are you looking at me?”

After a few deep breaths, he said, “P-Please can I come over tomorrow?” His eyes were wide, shiny with tears, and his little wings trembled against his back, as if talking directly to Erem were one of the scariest things he’d ever done. 

Barach felt a pang in his chest as he watched the way Alex begged. When the kid was just on the edge of tears, the urge to protect him was almost overwhelming. He was painfully adorable. No wonder Gabriel coddled him.

Even Erem seemed swayed as those wide black eyes gazed up at him hopefully. The kid looked like his heart would break if Erem told him no. 

“Ugh… Fine. You can come over.” His eyes narrowed as he said, “But you better not start screaming again.”

Alex’s mouth twitched in a brief smile of relief. “I’ll be quiet, I promise.”

Gabriel stood. “Come on, Alex, let’s go. See you guys later.” 

After they watched Gabriel and his little brother leave the dining hall, Erem turned to Barach. “That kid is weird,” he said, “but maybe it won’t be so bad having him around.”

Barach smiled at him warmly. Well, at least that was one problem taken care of. Now he just had to figure out what Gabriel was hiding. 

“You going to finish that?” Barach asked, reaching onto Erem’s platter and grabbing the last piece of fruit. 

He popped it into his mouth as Erem exclaimed, “Hey!” 

Barach spread his wings, like he was stretching, then leaned in and kissed Erem quickly while they were hidden from view of the few other people in the room.

As he refolded his wings against his back, he smiled over at Erem and finished chewing the fruit. Erem glared at him, blushing, and mumbled, “Bully.”


	6. Gabriel: 30th Degree of Harvest, 593 DE

For the next few days, Remiel brought Alex to see Gabriel every afternoon. Every day, Alex would come in and dutifully report one thing Remiel had taught him that morning.

“I can write my name.”

“There are three-hundred-and-sixty degrees in a year.”

“The Isten came here with some people from Ahn, but they’re all dead now.”

“I can tie a bow with string.”

“Six plus six equals twelve.”

“I can’t sleep in until lunchtime.” Alex said the last one with a pout while looking down at the stone floor. His hair was disheveled, like he’d just gotten out of bed. Remiel stood behind him in the hallway, clearly at the end of his patience.

“Alexiel, class starts tomorrow,” he said, like he’d had to repeat it several times already. “You cannot sleep in that late.”

Alex looked up at Gabriel with a stubborn set to his jaw. “Can I come in now?”

“That’s not really new information, Alex,” Gabriel said. “You need to do better.”

“I have some errands I have to run in Marut,” said Remiel. “He needs to stay with you today.”

Gabriel crossed his arms. “Rules are rules.” Firmly, he told Alex, “If you haven’t learned anything new, you can’t stay here. I have to study.”

Alex started breathing in shallow, quick breaths, but his eyes were fierce, not at all as timid as he had been the first few days after he arrived. Erem had been playing with him a lot when he came over, and Alex had picked up on some the blue-skinned Ahnnak’s argumentative attitude. Gabriel wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

“Today I learned that Remiel is going to Marut, and I’m not allowed to do anything,” said Alex insubordinately.

Frowning down at his little brother, Gabriel said, “That’s not good enough, either.”

His thin black eyebrows scrunched up. He clenched his jaw tightly.

Erem walked up behind Gabriel and shoved him off balance. “Lay off, Gabe. Classes start tomorrow. He’ll have plenty to talk about then.” He motioned for Alex to come in. “I’ll watch him if you’re too busy. Come on, Alex! I got something new to show you.”

Alex slipped in past Gabriel and ran over to Erem. Gabriel suppressed the flame of jealousy he felt. He hadn’t thought Alex would warm up to other people so easily, and it caught him off guard.

Erem had a little sister at home. She was only three or four years old, so when he played with Alex, he treated him a lot younger than he actually was. Alex didn’t seem to mind.

“I guess I got him,” Gabriel said to Remiel. “Can you come by and pick him up when you get back?”

Remiel sighed heavily. “Yeah, I can. But Gabriel, he’s starting classes tomorrow. One of them is with the flying instructor. You need to fix his wings. He refuses to do it.”

“Got it,” said Gabriel. He closed the door as Remiel left.

Alex was already sitting on the floor, playing with the little wooden beasts on the stone. Erem drew a chalk circle with some squiggly lines through it, and Alex placed each of the figures in its own section of the circle.

Sure enough, Alex’s feathers were all tweaked out again. It looked like he’d gotten them wet and then went to bed, so not only were the barbs matted together, but everything was rumpled and out of place.

Gabriel looked at his books on the desk. He made it through the first book a couple days ago, and was on to the next for another class. There were still two more books to get through after that, and it all needed to be done before tomorrow.

At least the information was starting to make sense, but he had to go slow, repeating the terminology over and over. He wouldn’t have time to do both Alex’s wings and read the rest of one book, let alone all three.

_Forget it_ , Gabriel decided. _I’m tired of studying._

He went over and crouched behind Alex. “Can I work on your wings while you play?”

Alex nodded. He picked up the little wooden saiga and let it trot along one of the chalk lines.

“Those are walls, Alex,” said Erem. “Have it walk through the paths.”

“There are paths in the walls,” Alex replied, and the saiga kept its course.

Gabriel crossed his legs and sat behind Alex, quietly preening his wings while watching him play.

Erem scooped up the figure of the tusked mammoth, and had it walk out of the chalk circle. “‘Oh no!’” he wailed for the wooden figure. “‘I’m falling! Quick, someone help me!’”

Alex tilted his head and looked at Erem, then he examined each of the other wooden figures still in the circle. “I can’t,” he stated.

“Why not?” Erem asked. He slowly made the mammoth tilt back, like it was falling off a cliff. “‘Help! Help me!’”

“I don’t have a stag,” Alex explained.

“A stag?” Erem asked, looking between his wooden toys. “Why do you need a stag?”

“The stag is the savior.”

“What about the phororha? It’s tall and strong. It’s got wings like us. Can’t it help?” Erem pointed to the figure of the tall, flightless bird with its spread wings. Alex had it laying face down in one of the chalk rooms.

Alex shook his head. “No. It’s the prophecy.”

“Prophecy?” Erem asked. Gabriel tensed, his fingers splayed through Alex’s feathers, motionless as he listened.

As he bounced the wooden saiga into another room, Alex recited words with an ominous ring:

_The fate of the faded rests_  
_alone on the crushing shores_  
_Count your sands, Dengir, fall upon us  
_ _Beckon through the void_

_So it comes, the savior,_  
_the stag who bleeds for the hallow_  
_A vessel rewritten makes shattered bone bonds  
_ _Haste alone will repair our doom_

_From the sky we shall fall_  
_Upon the green stone as one_  
_A brilliant retribution sought  
_ _Will turn rust into water_

Then, Alex reached out and touched the mammoth figure, pushing it flat on its side outside the circle. He looked Erem straight in the eye and said, “He died.”

Alex went back to playing, whispering quietly to the remaining wooden beasts as he moved them around the chalk circle. Erem and Gabriel stared at each other over his head, shocked.

“Hey, Alex? Do you mind if I talk to your brother outside the room for a moment?” asked Erem, his voice tight as he intentionally tried to project a calm appearance.

“Will you be back?” the boy asked.

“Oh, yeah. Just give us a few minutes.” Erem stood. “Gabe?”

Gabriel smoothed Alex’s wings down, sending shivers through the boy’s body. The feathers weren’t fixed yet, but they could wait. He rose to his feet. “I’ll be right back.”

They stepped into the hall and shut the door to their room. Erem turned on Gabriel. “That sounded like a prophecy, Gabe. A _real_ prophecy.”

“Yeah, I know, but it’s not one from the books. They haven’t released the new one, but…” Gabriel pushed his hands back through his hair, gathering it in a knot at the back of his head. He held it there as he thought, coming to the obvious conclusion. “Jequn must have told him.”

“Wait, so you think that was the new prophecy? Why would your father share that with Alex? It’s been Isten-only information since it was received last year.”

“They sent the interpretation from Ahn at the beginning of the Harvest,” said Gabriel, avoiding the rest of that question.

“Yeah, I know. We were at the beach when my father took off to go to the meeting. He kicked up sand everywhere.”

Another student walked through the hall, and Erem and Gabriel both tried to look nonchalant as she walked by. When she turned the next corner, Gabriel said, “I don’t know why he told him, but it sounds too official to be anything else.”

“What do you think it means?”

Gabriel shrugged. “It’s a prophecy. You know how twisted they can be.”

“So what are you going to do? He can’t go around talking like that. He’s already weird enough as it is.”

“Stop calling him weird.” Gabriel glared and punched his friend in the shoulder.

“Ow!” Erem clutched his arm, glaring back. “He is weird. That’s not going to change,” he declared.

“But you don’t have to _say_ it, Erem.”

Erem rubbed his arm vigorously. Gabriel hadn’t hit him that hard. “He starts class tomorrow. You don’t think the other kids are going to call him that, or worse?”

“If they do, I’ll punch them, too.”

“You can’t walk around punching everyone who looks at Alex funny. He’s going to have to grow up sometime.”

Though Erem was probably right, Gabriel didn’t want to agree with him. “I’m going to talk to him.” He went back into the room, Erem following and shutting the door behind them.

Alex still sat on the floor playing with the wooden figures. He’d gotten chalk on his hands and some smeared across his face. He didn’t look up as they walked over.

“Alex, I need to talk to you. It’s about-”

“My phororha!” Eremiel dived down, picking up the pieces of the bird. The wings had been snapped off. “Alex! Why’d you break it?!” He cradled the broken wooden figure in his hands. “My dad made me these…”

Emotionless, Alex said, “It was bad.”

Gabriel’s stomach felt cold. He picked Alex up off the floor and brought him over to the bench at the desk. He sat him down just as the boy started to struggle. “Stay there,” he commanded.

Sullenly, Alex sat, staring up at him. Gabriel knew he didn’t understand that what he did was wrong. He’d never had actual toys before.

Gabriel returned to Erem, who was picking up all the figures and holding them against his chest. “Can I see it?” he asked.

His friend looked really upset. Erem picked the five pieces out of the pile and passed them over to Gabriel. Each wooden wing had been broken twice, once at the middle and once where it connected to the side of the figure. “I might be able to fix it.”

“I don’t care,” Erem sniffled. “It’s just a toy.” He carried the figures over to his bed and sat them up along the recessed niche in the stone above where he lay. He stayed there, arranging them carefully, his back to Gabriel and Alex. Erem’s wings opened and closed repeatedly, as they did whenever he was upset.

Gabriel brought the wooden pieces of the phororha over to the desk and laid them before Alex. “You can’t break other people’s things. Erem has been nice to you, letting you play with his figures. You need to apologize.”

Alex looked down at the toy. He reached out and touched one of the broken wing pieces with a grey nail. “Won’t it get better?”

“I might be able to fix it, but no. Most things don’t heal like we do. If you break them, they stay broken.”

“They stay broken?” the child repeated. Alex looked up at him, his black eyes swirling.

“Yes. You need to apologize to Erem.”

Alex’s wings pulled in tightly against his back. “Apologize?” he whispered. He wrapped his arms around himself like he was cold.

“Just say you’re sorry,” Gabriel quickly clarified for his little brother. “Just words. Go on.”

Uncertain, Alex slid off the bench and walked over to stand beside Erem’s bed. He held his hands clasped in front of his body, fingers squeezed tightly together. “I-I’m sorry I broke the phororha.”

Erem stayed with his back turned, adjusting the placement of the mammoth. His wings opened and closed, folding against his back. He sighed heavily and turned toward Alex. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he was eye level with the small boy. “You’re a brat,” he said.

“I’m sorry, Eremiel. I thought it would get better.”

“ _It’s wood_.”

“I know.”

Erem shook his head disapprovingly. “You’re nothing but trouble, you know that, kid?” Alex nodded in agreement. “I’ll forgive you this time, but you have to do something for me.”

“Okay, Eremiel,” Alex whispered nervously.

Erem raised his fist. Alex cringed, blinking rapidly like he was preparing to be struck. The fist remained stationary in the air before him, knuckles forward, and Erem said, “Fist bump?”

It took Alex a few seconds to figure it out. He raised his hand, fist closed, and lightly tapped it against Erem’s knuckles.

Erem smiled at him. “There. All forgiven. I’m not letting you play with my stuff again, though.”

“That’s fair,” Alex agreed sadly.

“Maybe your brother can get you some figures of your own. There’s usually some toys in the markets in Marut. When you’re stronger, maybe you can even fly up with him to pick some out.”

“Really?” Alex asked hopefully. He turned to look at Gabriel.

“Sure. I suppose,” Gabriel agreed. It seemed like a decent request, if he ever found the time. The stack of books on the desk next to the broken phororha loomed forebodingly at the edge of his vision. He knew he needed to study more, yet he stepped away from them. “I’ll get you your own toys, but only after you can fly better, and you’re not going anywhere with wings like that.”

“Yes, Brother,” Alex said. They sat on the floor together, and Gabriel finished straightening his little brother’s feathers.


	7. Remiel: 30th Degree of Harvest, 593 DE

A few hours later, whistling as he walked through the hall, Remiel returned to pick Alex up. His flight up to Marut, the city above the cliffs of the academy, had been successful. He had found everything he needed, and a bit more. He carried a cloth wrapped bundle with him, the only thing he hadn’t already dropped off in either Alex’s room or his own.

When the door opened to Gabriel’s shared room, Remiel tossed the bundle to Erem. “It’s for all of you,” he said. “Share.”

“Thanks.” Erem carried it over to his bed and started unwrapping it. Gabriel guided Alex to the door. 

“Where’s Barachiel?” Remiel asked, looking into the room. He had hoped all three of them would be present to enjoy what he bought for the boys. He suspected Erem and Gabriel wouldn’t save any of the treat for him if he wasn’t there.

“He helps out in the stables in the valley below the cliffs sometimes,” Gabriel explained. 

“He does? Even after…?” After the incident with the auroch. It seemed inappropriate to talk about it directly, but Remiel couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be around beasts again if that had happened to him. 

Gabriel shrugged. “It’s Barach,” he said. Remiel supposed that was explanation enough. It did seem like the type of thing the stoic young Ahnnak would do.

“Sorry about this morning,” Remiel said. “I hope you didn’t have too much trouble today.”

“No trouble,” Gabriel said, giving his little brother a smile. “And no trouble tomorrow, either, right?”

Alex stifled a yawn, then said, “Yes, Brother.”

“I’ll let you know how his classes go,” said Remiel as he ushered Alex into the hall. The boy looked tired. For as much as he slept, he shouldn’t be, but then again, it was probably exhausting adjusting to a completely new place.

Erem finally unwrapped the package, a wide grin stretching across his face. “Honey bread!” he exclaimed. He wrapped it back up quickly and clutched it against his chest. He looked at Gabriel with wild eyes. “It’s all mine.”

Gabriel spun toward him, eyes sharp. “He said to share!” the silver-haired Ahnnak yelled. He bolted after Erem as he bound up the bunk beds and flew to the other side of the room. Gabriel leapt and caught the blue-skinned boy’s ankle, yanking him down.

Remiel closed the door on the room as the boys squabbled on the floor in a flurry of feathers and beating wings. He could still hear them arguing even as he walked with Alex down the hall. 

“Did you have a good day?” he asked his young charge.

“I don’t know,” Alex said, thinking hard. “I broke something. I think I was bad.”

“Was it an accident?”

“No,” he replied, brow knit. He looked troubled.

“You broke it on purpose?” That was a little surprising. Besides in the mornings, when he needed to wake up, Alex was a very timid and demure child. It didn’t seem like him.

“I thought it would heal,” he explained. “I thought the wood would grow back.”

“What was it?”

“A phororha toy. One of the ones Eremiel let me play with.”

Oh. The little wooden figures carved to look like the various beasts around E’din and Ter. They were very detailed, carved by the Isten Harut himself for his son. Remiel had admired them before when he’d been in the room. The wood beasts looked nearly life-like. It was unfortunate Alex broke one.

“Did you say sorry?” he asked.

Alex frowned. “Yes. He made me touch him.”

Remiel tripped and had to use his wings to catch himself. “He what?”

Alex held up his fists, looking down at his knuckles. He pressed them together before him. “Like this.” 

“Oh,” Remiel said with relief. He knew from experience how boys at Gabriel and Erem’s age could act as their bodies began to mature. Even innocent curiosity could quickly turn improper. He didn’t think Gabriel would allow anything like that to happen with Alex, but still. Twelve year old boys weren’t always known for having the best judgment. 

“I’m hungry,” Alex announced, looking up at Remiel. 

“Well, I got you something from Marut, too. It’s in your room.” He didn’t think Alex was ready to attend a dinner in the dining hall with all the other students, especially not the night before classes resumed. It would be chaos as everyone reunited after the holiday break.

Even the hallways were busier, and Alex did his best to put Remiel between himself and whatever people they were walking by at a given time.

Imperial housing, where Alex’s assigned room was, didn’t have any other people situated in it at the moment. It served as temporary housing for visitors, and in Alex’s case, those who needed the extra privacy. Headmaster Iscriel stopped by every once in a while to check on them, but otherwise, they were left completely alone.

Alex walked up the stairs first. Remiel noted that the boy’s wings were fully preened again. That was good. He would try to keep Alex from getting them wet in the bath next time, but the boy really liked playing in the water.

“It’s in the package on the bed,” Remiel said as they entered. “Go ahead and eat.”

Alex untied the string and opened the bundle. He eyed the variety of candied fruit and honey bread. He glanced at Remiel. “Is this all for me?”

“It is,” Remiel said, smiling. “I already ate.”

“Thank you, Remiel,” Alex said. He gathered the bundle up and brought it over to the low table where he sat on the floor and began to eat. He made a little face as he chewed the first bite. “It tastes weird.”

“It’s candied. Haven’t you ever had sweet fruit and bread before?”

Alex ate another piece slowly, making the same scrunched faces. “Sweet?” he asked.

“Yeah, like, sugary. Honey or jam. You know, _sweet_.”

“We just ate plain stuff, like fruit, vegetables, or rotika. Food that all tastes the same.”

Remiel frowned, crouching beside Alex at the table. “Those don’t all taste the same.”

“No, rotika is best. It’s not so messy,” said Alex. He looked at the crystalized bits of honey on his fingers. “I don’t think I like ‘sweet.’”

“That’s okay, Alexiel. You don’t have to eat it. I’ll go down and get you something else for dinner.” Remiel packaged the bundle back up. It was strange. He had never met a child who didn’t like sweets. 

As he sat the bundle on the table by the door, he noticed the other item he picked up in the market for Alex. “Oh, I nearly forgot! I got you some oil for your wings, since you can’t seem to keep them dry.”

“Oil?” Alex asked, peering at the corked urn on the table with the clay feather marker tied around the handle.

“You can’t use it yet, though. It’ll make your feathers too heavy to fly. You need to get stronger first. But then, you’ll just work it into the vane and barbs, and when your wings get wet, the water will roll right off.”

“Even in the bath?”

“Bath, rain, anything, but you do have to reapply it sometimes when you preen.” Remiel gave Alex a serious look. “You _have_ to preen.”

The black-haired boy frowned. “It’s hard.”

“It’s going to be worse if you show up to your flight lesson with Instructor Dardiel with messy wings. She is very strict.”

“She is?” Alex looked worried, but for this, he should be.

“If your wings aren’t preened, you can’t fly. When I was in class, I watched her pull a tweaked feather out of a kid’s wing. She just grabbed it, and popped it right out.” 

Alex cringed. He pulled his wings in tight against his back. “I don’t want her to touch my wings.”

“Then you better take care of them,” Remiel said. He knew he was being hard on the boy about this, but younger children than Alex were able to keep their wings neat. He had no excuse for not trying. 

“Can you help?” the boy asked again.

“I cannot,” Remiel repeated. “You have to do it yourself.”

Dejected, Alex climbed up onto his bed and pouted. Remiel sighed. He felt bad, but it was part of his expected duties to help Alex learn to take care of himself. Iscriel wouldn’t keep Remiel assigned there forever. 

“I’m going to get your dinner,” Remiel said, giving the boy a small smile. “Why don’t you practice while I’m gone?”

“Yes, Remiel,” Alex replied dully. 

Remiel walked over to him and held out his hand, palm up. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Alex reached out and tapped Remiel’s hand really quick with his fingertips. “Bring me some flatbread, please?”

“Sure, Alexiel, if they have it. I’ll see what I can find.” Remiel left, taking the short flight down across the gap to reach the dining hall on the other side. It didn’t take him long, but by the time he returned with a basket full of bread and fruit, Alex was already asleep. 

Remiel placed the basket on the table. The food would still be good for breakfast. He covered his sleeping charge with a blanket, deciding it was best to let him sleep.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and Alex would need all the rest he could get.


	8. Alex: 1st Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes resume at Archridge Academy after the Harvest break. Alex has his first class and... well, it goes about as expected.

“You have a morning class and an afternoon class,” Remiel explained, adjusting the cloth under Alex’s wings so that it covered the dull brown marks remaining from the burns. He made sure the fabric remained low enough to not rub against any feathers. 

Alex yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. He could barely keep his eyes open. “It’s too early,” he groaned, knowing he was whining a little. He just wanted to go back to bed. 

“It’s time for class,” Remiel said firmly, tightening the knot across Alex’s belly. The fabric fit tight around his chest and arms, but hung loose over the thin, knee-length leggings. Remiel had tried to convince him to wear a top that only tied around his neck, leaving his shoulders and arms bare, but he refused. It showed too much skin, and it made him feel exposed. Remiel told him he didn’t need to be modest, but Alex hadn’t backed down, so they settled on a similar shirt, but with full sleeves. 

Remiel deftly braided Alex’s hair so it lay over his shoulder. “At least Instructor Dardiel won’t pick over your clothes or hair,” he said while tightly wrapping the end of the black braid with a ribbon. “Let’s go.” 

With a hand on Alex’s back, Remiel guided him out of the room and down the hall.

Alex yawned again as he walked beside Remiel to his first class. They had to go upstairs, to the plateau over the cliffs. 

It was strange, though. The waterfall was even louder this morning than usual. The noise grew as they walked toward the foyer that opened out between the two sides of the academy. When they reached it, Alex was left breathless. 

It wasn’t the waterfall making the noise, it was the hundreds of winged children soaring and darting through the air. Some hovered higher up, chatting in small groups with quick white wings keeping them suspended. Older children dived off the high entrances carved from the cliffs, plummeting dangerously before their wings snapped out, catching the air and bringing them back up. 

Everyone was laughing or talking or shouting, and it was _terrifying_.

“No,” Alex gasped, scrambling backward. His chest felt too tight and it was difficult to breathe. The noise was deafening. There were too many people. How could there be that many people in the whole world?! 

“Alex? Are you okay?” Remiel crouched before him, concern in his eyes, but Alex couldn’t focus on him. 

Shaking his head, he backed up until he felt the stone walls pressed tight against his wings. It felt like the ground was tilting, about to eject him out into that chasm among the endless number of shrieking, laughing people. He felt himself falling, and he couldn’t stop it, even as his wings lashed out, hitting the stone behind him. 

Before he hit the stone floor, fear overwhelmed him. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he passed out. 

***

When Alex woke, everything was white. White walls surrounded him on two sides, a white curtain blocked the other. He lay face down on a white bed with a thin white blanket draped across his back. 

A rectangle of sunlight illuminated the white curtain, and Alex realized there was someone else in the room.

“Hello?” he called tentatively. “Gabriel?”

A shadow approached the curtain, too tall to be his brother. Too tall to be Remiel, either. Alex cowered, pulling his wings in tight against his back. The shadow of the hand reached out and grabbed the white curtain. The cloth slid back, and Alex buried his face in the mattress, hiding ineffectively.

“Are you awake now, Ahnnak Alexiel?” asked a feminine voice. It had a melodic lilt to it, almost like she was singing. Alex slowly lifted his face and peered through his hair at her.

A very tall woman with a long neck stood beside the bed. She had pale skin with a gold shimmer across her high cheekbones. There was no hair on her head, not even eyebrows. She looked down at him with gold eyes, but her pupils were narrow slits, like Hadasha’s eyes.

She tilted her head so she was looking at him in the same angle he looked at her. “Hello, Ahnnak Alexiel. I am the Isten Kasdeja. Are you well?”

 _An Isten_. He glanced to her back. She had a heavy cloak of white wings draped from her sloped shoulders. Too many feathers for just a single set. 

His heart pounded in his chest as he looked back to her face. She had asked him something. What was it? 

_Are you well?_

He wasn’t. He felt sick. He couldn’t remember how he got there and he didn’t want to stay any longer. He replied, “Yes, Isten. I am,” and hoped he could be allowed to leave.

She observed him sharply. “Is that so? You were brought here by the Ahnnak Remiel after you fainted in the hall.”

“Remiel brought me here?” he asked quietly. Why would he do that? 

“Yes, though I insisted he leave you and go to his classes. It is fortunate I was here today, or who knows what manner of panic your performance might have incited.”

“Performance.” He repeated the word slowly.

The Isten Kasdeja walked over and picked up a tablet from the desk. It was a blue one like Jequn used to share information with the other Isten on Ter. “I have seen your file, Ahnnak Alexiel. I understand you are recovering from a wasting disease. The Isten Jequn has been very forthcoming with your disposition due to your prolonged illness.” With her back to him, she turned her head to look at him, her long neck twisting completely around. “Your father said you could be dramatic and prone to outbursts. I hope you don’t think you can continue to avoid classes by maintaining this attitude. Your father may have doted on you, but we will not.” 

Alex pushed himself up so he was sitting with his legs folded under him and his hands on his knees. The white blanket bunched on the bed around him. He lowered his eyes, staring at the floor. She had spoken with Jequn. She believed the lies he told everyone about why he had been unable to attend the academy before now. She was on Jequn’s side.

Alex knew to fear her.

“It is a shame about your eyes, though,” said the Isten Kasdeja. “I do wonder about your father’s methods sometimes, but none can argue with his results. You are fortunate to have him.”

“Yes, Isten,” Alex whispered, squeezing his wings tight against his back. 

She turned her body around, though her head remained in the same spot, facing him, as her body pivoted and realigned. “I am often in the academy, Ahnnak Alexiel. I offer my assistance to the science and history departments when I am able. I am not a healer, but if you are feeling ill, I can send a message to your father for you. I am certain he would like to hear from you.” She said it in a kind way, but when Alex remained silent, she continued on. “I will send for the Ahnnak Remiel to take you to your afternoon class.”

“Yes, Isten,” he whispered. Anything to get out of that white room.

The Isten Kasdeja leaned into the hall, her neck curving around the corner. She spoke to someone, and then came back in. She approached the bed once more. “Ahnnak Alexiel. You will learn well here, but as an Ahnnak, you must remember that you are always being watched. It does not do to show weakness before the other students, as you will reflect that upon your father’s name. No more skipping class just because you are tired.”

“Yes, Isten.” He tried not to shiver under her gaze. 

A short, winged woman dressed in white bustled into the room. Her hair was all tied up on top of her head. She carried a small case in her hand which she plopped down on the desk beside Kasdeja’s blue tablet. “My goodness,” she exclaimed. “First day back from holiday, and you would think those children had forgotten how to fly!”

“Medic Haniel, thank you for allowing myself and the child the chance to recover in your office,” said the Isten to the woman.

“Anything for you, Isten. You are always welcome here.” The medic moved over to Alex on quick, light steps, like she was too busy to stand still. She reached out and started touching and feeling Alex’s neck and face, poking and prodding about like she was looking for something. 

Alex cringed and tried to pull away from her, but he was too afraid to move much under the Isten Kasdeja’s watchful gaze.

“Yes, you seem perfectly fine now, young Alexiel,” said the medic. “You had your tutor in quite a panic when he brought you in this morning. It is fortunate the Isten was available to help keep everyone calm. Last time we had an Ahnnak hurt on campus, the school was in an uproar for days. I don’t think your little incident got out, thanks to the quick response of the Isten.” 

She felt behind his ears, and he couldn’t stand it anymore. He jerked back away from her hands, glaring up at her. “Stop touching me,” he said. 

Medic Haniel put her hands on her hips. “I am a healer, young Alexiel. It is my job to make sure you are well.”

“I am well,” he said with more conviction than he had when he spoke to the Isten.

“I will be the one to decide that,” the medic replied. 

They heard footsteps coming down the hall, moving fast. Remiel grabbed the door frame and skidded around the corner, wings spread wide. He was breathing hard. “Alexiel!” he exclaimed.

“Remiel!” Alex had never been so happy to see the green-eyed Ahnnak. 

“I’m not done with you,” insisted Medic Haniel. 

Tilting her head slowly, Kasdeja said, “I think it is best he attend class. Ahnnak Remiel, escort your charge, if you would.”

“Yes, Isten Kasdeja,” Remiel said, bowing quickly to her. “Come on, Alexiel, let’s go.”

Scrambling off the end of the bed, Alex rushed over to Remiel. He didn’t look back as they went out the door and started down the hall. 

“I was so worried about you!” Remiel said, looking down at him. “Did they figure out why you passed out?”

Alex stayed close beside Remiel without touching him. “It was a performance,” he said, not very happy about the answer.

“A what?”

“I think it means I was pretending.”

Remiel looked down at him strangely. “I saw the way you passed out. That wasn’t pretending. You were terrified.” 

“There were too many people,” complained the child.

“They’re students. They take classes here, too. They’re just noisy, but no one is going to hurt you.”

“Where are they now?” Alex asked as they walked through the empty halls.

“Class, which is where I’m supposed to be and where you’re supposed to be.” Remiel laughed a little. “Not that I was paying attention to anything today anyway.”

“Class must be better than being with the Isten,” Alex decided. He wondered if all the Isten knew Jequn. Either way, he did not want to be in the same room as any of them.

“You mean Isten Kasdeja? She’s nice,” Remiel said. “She helped out in my science class a few times. If it wasn’t for her, I still don’t think I’d be able to boil or freeze water.”

“How many Isten instructors are at the academy?” Alex asked, trying to figure out how many he needed to avoid.

“Isten Elohim and Isten Kasdeja are here most often, but sometimes Isten Marut and Isten Dumah stop by. Isten Elohim is the only one that teaches a regular class, but the rest will come in for a few days or weeks and take over someone else’s group.” Remiel thought for a little. “Though I don’t think you’ll have any classes taught by Isten until at least your sixth year.”

“Do I have to take science?” asked Alex.

“Well, for now, not really. You’re in the remedial class, which is smaller, so the teacher can help more. It’s just to get you caught up with the rest of your grade. Any science they teach is just going to be basic stuff, like locating your energy or making a fire.” 

They turned down a hallway that led deeper in the the cliffs, stepping up the eight steps to the next level. They walked by a few classes with open doors. Alex peeked in to each one at first, but stopped after a small girl made eye contact with him, catching him staring at her. He focused on the floor in front of his feet after that.

“Here we are, Alexiel,” said Remiel. “This is your class.

***

A dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at him as he walked through the door. Alex stopped in the open doorway, unable to move another step into the room.

There were eleven children of varying sizes and colors sitting two to a desk, all facing forward. A winged man with wire and glass circles perched on his nose stood at the front. He smiled at Alex.

“You must be Alexiel. I’m your teacher, Terran Fuztethiel. I’m so glad you could make it!” he said cheerfully. “Come in.”

Alex looked up at Remiel and shook his head quickly. He did not want to go into that room.

Remiel smiled down at him patiently. “It’s either here or back to the medic’s office.”

He turned back to the teacher and somehow managed to take a few steps forward.

“Class, we have a new student joining us today,” said Fuztethiel. “This is the Ahnnak Alexiel. He missed a few years at the academy because he was recovering from an illness. I hope you all will help him feel welcome here.”

The children stared at Alex. Their faces blurred together in wide eyed streaks as Alex’s eyes shifted from one side of the room to the other. He couldn’t focus.

“I thought Ahnnak couldn’t get sick,” a voice shouted from the back of the room.

“Will I die if he sneezes on me?” said another.

“He doesn’t look like he’s better,” added a third.

“Class, you have to give him a chance to adjust. Be nice. It can be scary coming to a new place,” said Fuztethiel. He pointed to a desk at the side of the room that only had one student seated at it. “Alexiel, please go sit over there.”

Somehow, he managed to walk across the swirling room and sit on the empty bench at the desk. He could feel the hot presence of another body very close to him at his right, but he didn’t look over at the other student. 

The teacher approached Remiel and spoke softly to him. “Should I send for you if there are any problems?”

“Please,” said Remiel. “Also, I will be picking him up from class at the end of the day. Keep him here until I arrive, if you could.” 

They bowed to each other, then Remiel looked over at Alex. He smiled and waved.

 _No, don’t go_ , Alex wanted to shout, but the words got stuck in his throat. Remiel left, returning to his own class.

It was difficult to breathe in that room. Alex stared down at the wooden desk in front of him. The wood was a light brown with whorls of darker brown knots and lines. He stared at the pattern, trying to distract himself and regain his composure. 

The teacher started talking, but Alex didn’t even try to make sense of his words. His chest felt too tight. He heard his heartbeat throbbing in his ears the same way he did when Jequn held his neck for too long. 

He sat there staring at the desk, motionless for over an hour. Then, a hand slid across the wood into his view, tapping the desk and waving. He looked up slowly, following the hand to the arm and up over to the winged boy who sat next to him. 

The boy was about his age with short hair the color of a crackling fire. It stuck up in spikes all over his head, enhancing the effect. His eyes were a yellowish-red color with flecks of gold, like sparks. He grinned at Alex crookedly. 

Alex could only stare. The boy had taken a feather, sharpened the quill, and stuck it through the dry skin of his lip. It hung there, twitching from his face every time he moved his mouth. 

“Hi,” he whispered. “I’m Uzzi.”

“Uzziel, take that feather out of your lip and face forward,” the teacher scolded.

The boy’s wings ruffled up behind him, feathers fluffing out to make him look bigger, though not much. He turned to the teacher, mouth hanging open, and said, feigning innocence, “What feather?”

Fuztethiel walked over, grabbed the feather, and plucked it from the boy’s face. “You are not setting a very good example for our new student.” He held the feather before him. “You need to preen in your room before class. No more loose feathers.”

“It just fell out. I can’t help it,” whined Uzzi. 

“If you can’t behave, I’ll switch you with Wuliel.”

Uzzi made a face. “You can’t stick Wuli next to the new kid!” he exclaimed. “Wuli eats earwax!”

The eyes of the class shifted to a round faced boy with his finger stuck in his ear. He stared back at them, eyes wide, then slowly lowered his hands below his desk.

“Uzziel, that’s enough!” the teacher shouted. “You’re staying after class for detention.”

“What did I do?!” 

“Corner, now,” Fuztethiel demanded, pointing to the corner of the room where nothing but a lone stool sat.

“Ugh, fine,” Uzzi groaned, dramatically rising from the desk. He walked over to the chair grumbling. “This thing is going to be in the shape of my butt before I graduate.” Facing the corner, he sat on the stool and thudded his forehead against the the wall hard.

Fuztethiel smiled calmly at Alex. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Alex wanted to say no, but he just nodded. 

“If Uzziel gives you any more trouble, we’ll switch seats. It might be better if you were at the front anyway,” he said. 

Sitting at the front of the class did not sound like a better idea. All those eyes watching at him, always staring at him and his wings… It was unbearable. The back of the room, or the side was definitely better. He almost envied Uzzi sitting on the stool in the corner.

The teacher walked back up to the front of the room and continued his lecture. Alex resumed staring at the desk, though every once in a while, his black eyes would drift over to peek at the fiery boy sitting alone in the corner. 


	9. Remiel: 1st Degree of Justice, 593 DE

Remiel was late arriving to pick Alex up after the day’s classes were over. He ran across the academy as fast as he could, bumping into several other students in his haste. He only shouted quick apologies back to them as he continued on his way. He sprang up the eight steps to the hall that led down to Alex’s classroom, propelling himself with his wings.

“Fold your wings in the halls!” an instructor shouted as he raced by her room. 

He tucked his wings in tight until he was past her door, then opened them again and darted forward. He slowed as he reached Alex’s classroom, trying to look composed, and stepped through the door with a smile.

In a rush to leave the classroom, a red-haired boy shot out, colliding head first into Remiel’s stomach. Remiel fell back in a disgraceful flurry of beating wings, landing hard on the stone floor. 

He looked up at the boy who was rubbing his head, wincing. “Jeez, why don’t you watch where you’re going?” the redhead groused. 

“You bumped in to me!” Remiel exclaimed, stunned by the nerve of the child.

The boy glared down at him. “Aren’t you too old to be in these halls?”

“Uzziel!” the teacher’s voice shouted from within the classroom.

“Oops. Gotta go.” The kid took off running, practically bouncing off walls as his wings launched him forward.

Remiel stood back up, rubbing his stomach. This time, he peered around the corner before entering the classroom. 

Fuztethiel stood at the front of the room, watching Remiel through his glasses. “Sorry about him. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Remiel replied. 

“Some of our students are a little rambunctious.” He looked over to where Alex sat at the desk, still staring down at the wood. “Not all, though. From his file, I thought he would be more…”

“He needs time. Be patient with him.” Remiel walked over to the desk. “Hey, Alexiel, you ready to go?”

The child slowly looked up at Remiel. His eyes were glazed over, like he wasn’t quite seeing him. In a daze, Alex said, “Remiel. You’re here.” 

“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry I’m late.”

Alex stood and walked over, keeping his eyes lowered. He waited beside Remiel quietly while Fuztethiel explained what they had covered that day. The class was learning about the solar calendar. Simple stuff, some of which Remiel had already tried to teach his charge.

Except, when Remiel looked at Alex to check how much of the lesson he had understood, the boy just stared blankly at the floor. He was completely zoned out. 

Remiel bowed to Fuztethiel and took Alex from the room. It didn’t sound like anything had happened during class, but the boy was so distant, it had Remiel worried. When he worried, Remiel knew he tended to babble, which was exactly what he found himself doing as they walked down the hall.

“So, I had the worst class ever this afternoon,” Remiel said. “Just rotten. There’s this girl in my class who always has to be right. Like, always. No matter what I say or do, she has to correct me. If I said the sky is blue, she’s be like, ‘Uh, Remi, the isn’t actually blue. The light wavelength for blue is the same size at the particles in the air, so that’s the majority of the color we see.’ And it’s like, duh, I know that but, damn, she is bossy.” Alex looked up at him, his blank expression hard to read, but at least he was listening.

Remiel sighed, reading into the boy’s silence. “No, you’re right. I shouldn’t be so critical. She’s a Terran. But I swear, the only reason she does so well in class is because the teachers go easy on her. She’s a healer, so that makes her _special._ ” He twisted the word, giving it a mocking tone. “Everything she does annoys me. The way she talks down to me, the way she stands, the way she flips her hair over her shoulder when she points out my mistakes.” Remiel scowled. “Ugh! Some days, I just can’t stand to see her cute little face.” He pushed his hands back through his thick hair, but one of his rings caught and tangled in a curl. He frowned and focused on pulling it out without breaking any hair.

Alex blinked a couple times while watching him. “Cute?” he asked.

“What?”

“You called her cute.”

“No, I didn’t,” he said as they walked down the steps. He pulled the ring off his finger and twisted it around, trying to get it slipped free of his hair. 

“You did,” Alex insisted.

The ring fell free and he caught it, putting it back on his middle finger. “I did not call her- I would never say she was-” He paused, feeling his cheeks grow warm. “She is not cute,” he declared adamantly.

Alex tilted his head like a little bird. “Why are your cheeks red? Are you blushing Remiel? Aren’t people only supposed to blush if they get embarrassed?” he asked, completely innocent.

“I am not embarrassed!” His face did feel hotter, though. “Enough about me. Tell me about your class.”

Alex sighed. “I’d rather not.”

“Was it hard?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t really listening.”

“Alexiel, you’ve got to listen to the instructors at the academy. That’s how you’re going to learn.”

“You’re teaching me, too.”

“I’m teaching you how to read. Basic math. Stuff that’ll help you catch up with your year. There’s still more you have to learn.” The little boy beside him pouted. Remiel used the one tactic that really seemed to work on the child. “What would Gabriel say if you gave him that attitude?”

“Probably something angry,” said Alex. “I don’t like it when he yells at me.”

“I don’t think anyone likes it when your brother yells at them. Gabriel is a little scary sometimes.”

“He is?” Alex asked, looking over.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s not shy about following through with his feelings. Him and his friends are always getting into fights. It makes people cautious around them.”

“Oh.” Alex looked forward, thinking hard.

Remiel smiled. “You didn’t realize your big brother could be so scary, did you?”

“No, I just thought I was the only one afraid of him.” 

Remiel didn’t know what to say after that. They walked the rest of the way back to Alex’s room in silence.


	10. Barachiel: 1st Degree of Justice, 593 DE

“He’s been like this since I got back from class,” Erem explained, motioning toward the length of Gabriel’s body hiding beneath the pillows in their study pit. “I don’t know what to do.”

The silver-haired Ahnnak’s fingers dug into the pillow over his head, holding it tighter. He groaned and mumbled something nasty, but his words were muffled by the pillow. 

“He’s probably hungry,” Barach said. “I am, too. Can you go find something for us to eat?”

Erem shrugged his shoulders, his wings opening and closing anxiously. “I guess. What do you want?”

“Whatever they have. Thanks, Erem.” He touched his blue friend’s wrist, giving him a comforting squeeze before sending him out the door.

When the door clicked shut and only Barach and Gabriel were left in the room, Barach crouched beside the pit. “Gabe, look at me,” he insisted.

The pillow lifted, and Gabriel’s angry, ice-blue eyes glared out at him. “Fiends take you, Barach. Just let me die.” The whites of his eyes looked red, like he’d been crying. Gabriel buried his face back in the pillows.

“It was the first day. How bad can it be?” 

“Bad!” came the muffled pronouncement from beneath the pillow. 

Barach sighed. He climbed down into the pit and lounged beside Gabriel’s body. “Did you show up naked?”

“No.”

“Did you vomit on the instructor?”

“ _No_.” 

“Did you touch something and make it explode, showering the room in glass and sending everyone into a state of crisis at the medic’s office?”

“Damn it, Barach, no!” Gabriel exclaimed, throwing the pillows off him as he sat up. “They all stared at me! I didn’t know half of what the instructors were saying, and everyone else just treated me like a bratty kid. One girl even called me _cute,_ ” he spat, furious.

“Well, you are kind of bratty,” Barach said. “And you can be a little cute sometimes.”

Gabriel’s face flushed bright red as embarrassment and anger over came him. He lunged at Barach, fists raised, but Barach had fought Gabriel before. There was nothing new there, especially not when Gabriel was so worked up.

In seconds, Barach had Gabriel on his back, pinned to the floor of the pit. He sat across his thighs, allowing Gabriel enough slack to adjust his wings comfortably beneath him, but not enough to escape. Gabriel struggled to pull his fists from Barach’s grip, and his legs kicked, but he wasn’t going anywhere until Barach let him up.

“See, like this? You’re a little cute,” said Barach. Gabriel glared up at him, his eyes burning with tears.

“Get the fuck off me,” he snapped.

“Not until you tell me why you’re putting yourself through this.”

“I can’t,” Gabriel maintained. He started struggling again. 

Barach adjusted his weight so he could hold Gabriel’s wrists over his head with one hand. He placed his other hand on Gabriel’s bare belly, fingers splayed.

“Tell me,” he insisted. 

Gabriel started squirming again, but a bit of his rising panic broke through his anger. “N-No! Please, Barach, don’t. I can’t tell you! No one can know!”

“Then you leave me no choice,” he replied somberly. 

With a little static dancing along his fingertips, Barach spread his hand wide. Gabriel stared up at him apprehensively, shaking his head as if that would somehow be enough to stop what Barach was going to do to him. 

But there was no escape, and Gabriel knew it.

Barach pressed his hand against Gabriel’s soft, pale skin. In quick, wiggling movements, he began tickling his friend, moving his fingers back and forth over his exposed belly.

Gabriel laughed sharply and squirmed, writhing, trying to get away. “S-Stop! No, please, Barach!” He was frantic, the little bursts of static along his skin making it impossible for him to hold still. His muscles spasmed and he twisted, trying to escape, but Barach was still strong enough to hold him down. 

Barach didn’t relent until there were tears pouring down Gabriel’s face, and his breaths came in hiccuping gasps. He lifted his hand from Gabriel’s belly and watched the way his friend panted, swallowing hard, regaining his senses. 

“Gabe. I want to know what’s going on.”

Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut, forcing a couple more tears down his cheeks. He shook his head, stubborn to a fault.

Barach lowered his hand to his belly again, feeling the way Gabriel’s muscles contracted, trying to pull away from his touch, even though he wasn’t doing anything yet. He watched Gabriel calmly until the silver-haired Ahnnak opened his eyes back up. 

“You don’t have to tell me everything, not yet,” Barach said, easing off on his demands a little. “But I need to know more. Erem and I are your friends, and we’re worried about you.”

“Okay,” Gabriel relented. “I’ll talk, but please, let me up.”

“Not until after you tell me.” He wasn’t going to give him another chance to get out of explaining.

Gabriel swallowed hard, his belly twitching, still trying to pull away from Barach’s hovering fingers. But he nodded, and said, “I have to take the AC classes, or Alex can’t stay at the Academy.”

Barach watched him for a moment, trying to determine what else was missing from the statement, but he had agreed to let Gabriel up if he talked. He released his friend’s wrists and got off him. 

Gabriel rolled to his side, holding his wrists where Barach’s grip had left red marks. They were already fading on the boy’s pale skin. He hid behind his silver hair while he struggled to compose himself. When he looked up, the skin around his eyes had turned red from crying, but he had lost a lot of his anger in the struggle. He looked drained now. Exhausted and calmer. 

“So your brother stays as long as you take the classes. That’s why you’ve been pushing yourself so hard? To keep him here?”

Gabriel nodded. He pushed himself up so he was sitting, legs crossed before him. “If I fail, he gets taken out. I don’t want him to go back home.”

“Why?”

Closing his eyes, Gabriel said, “It’s better for him here.”

That wasn’t a satisfactory answer, but Barach couldn’t push him anymore. Erem returned, holding a woven basket of food. Gabriel quickly turned from the door, rubbing at his face. He stood and stomped over to the desk to sit down.

Barach climbed out of the pit, casually walking over to Erem. “Oh, nice,” he said, grabbing a piece of fried apple bread from the bag. “Still warm.”

Erem smiled at him. “They just put them out when I got there. Lucky, huh?”

Barach brought the treat over to Gabriel and held it out to him. “Eat something. You’ll need your strength to study.”

Gabriel glared at him, but accepted the bread. He ate it mechanically, as if he didn’t actually enjoy it, but when Barach offered him another, he accepted that one, too. 

“Erem and I are here for you, Gabe. You don’t have to go through this alone.” He patted Gabriel’s shoulder.

Very softly, Gabriel whispered, “Thank you.” He opened his book, hiding his tear streaked face behind his hair, and began to read. 

Barachiel walked back over to Erem and messed up his friend’s shaggy blond hair. “He’ll be okay,” he assured him. “The food helped.”

Nodding, but not convinced, Erem said, “You sure?”

“I’m sure. Let’s go out for a quick flight before dinner. Do you want to come, Gabe?” Barach asked, though he already knew the answer.

“I’ll stay,” Gabriel replied petulantly. He needed some time alone.

“We’ll be back before dinner so we can all go down together,” Barach said. He took Erem’s hand and pulled him out of the room, marching quickly down the hall. Erem had to run every few steps to keep up, but he held Barach’s hand tightly until they reached the foyer, where other people were gathered.

They each fell through an open arch and dropped a couple floors down through the air before catching themselves on their wings and gliding. Enough other kids darted through the air that no one paid them much mind. Barach led the way, but Erem stayed in close formation beside him. Even without saying anything, Erem knew where they were headed.

They landed on a lowest arch off the ground near the waterfall’s pool. The halls were eerily quiet there. A crack through the stone allowed some of the waterfall to leak on that level, making everything damp and grey. No sconces burned on the level, because no classes were taught there and no students had rooms there. It was practically abandonded, except for people like them. This early in the afternoon, they were completely alone. 

Barach grabbed Erem’s hand and pulled him down the dark hall. The blue skinned boy hurried along behind him, knowing why they came, and just as eager. A quick fire conjuration could have brightened their path, but they both knew the way well enough to follow it in the dark.

When they reached a dry, empty room with a wooden door, Barach pushed Erem inside and kicked the door shut behind them. He shoved his friend against the wall and pressed a hard kiss against his blue lips. 

Erem’s fingers raked down the front of Barach’s chest, raising little welts under his nails. He pushed the older boy back, breaking the kiss in order to reach up and ignite the oil lamp above their heads. The soft firelight barely lit the room, but it was more than enough for them to see each other. 

Erem smirked at Barach, his hands flat on his chest, keeping him from stealing another kiss. “You made him cry again, didn’t you?”

Barach bumped his head against Erem’s, breathing in heavily. His body felt taut, like it could explode with the lightest touch. “I can’t help it. He’s so cute when he cries.”

“You’re so mean, Barach. If he knew-”

“Yes, Erem, I know.” Barach sighed, dismayed. “I know.” He tilted his friend’s chin up and leaned in, kissing lightly along the blue skin to his shoulder. 

Erem kept his head raised while Barach’s mouth moved along his neck. He rubbed his hands across Barach’s chest and shoulders. “You know, if you and I were actually together, I would be jealous.”

Barach nuzzled against Erem’s neck, breathing in his scent. He smelled like coconuts, warm sand, and the spray of salt water in the air. “You’re the only one I would do this with. And we are together,” said Barach as he dropped to his knees before Erem. “You and I are together in this room right now.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Erem said. He drew in a sharp breath as Barach tugged down his pants and quickly engulfed his cock with his mouth. Erem’s hand rested lightly on Barach’s head as he sucked and licked. The younger boy leaned back against the wall in a dazed euphoria. “If he would join in, I don’t think you’d play with me anymore.”

Barach slid off with a wet pop and said, “Only you.” He went back down on him.

Gasping, Erem said, “Only because he said no.”

It was true. Gabriel had said no. To both of them. They’d posed it as a game, a hypothetical question, thinking maybe they could get their silver-haired friend to join them. Gabriel had laughed and turned them down, blatantly rejecting the idea as absurd. They hadn’t asked again, and they’d never revealed what they really did when they were alone.

It was probably for the best. As much as it turned Barach on to see Gabriel cry, he just didn’t feel the same way about him as he did Erem. Also, if Gabriel had joined them, Barach doubted Erem would treat it like a game anymore. 

Erem definitely had a favorite, and it wasn’t Barachiel. 

“Shit, I’m gonna-” Erem’s voice cut off as he came in Barach’s mouth. The older boy swallowed it all, if for no other reason than to prevent someone from tracking the splash of semen back to them. They weren’t the only ones who used the rooms hidden at the base of the waterfall, but there was always a risk of the instructors cracking down on the activity. They had to know, though. It wasn’t exactly a well kept secret around the campus.

Barach stood as Erem pulled his pants back up and fastened them. Erem was breathing hard and smiling when he said, “Man, you’re eager today.”

“I can’t help it,” he replied, a little breathless. 

Erem laughed and moved closer. “You’re such a bully, Barach.”

“C’mon Erem, just suck me,” he urged. “We’re going to be late for dinner.”

His friends grinned and dropped to his knees. It didn’t take much coaxing before Barach was in his mouth, those blue lips stretched tight around him, and that warm tongue lapping at his length.

Barach closed his eyes and braced himself with a hand on the wall. Erem’s touch quickly brought about his climax. Erem choked and coughed, some of the fluid dribbling from the corner of his mouth. Barach grabbed him and pulled him up, wiping it from his face. He kissed him softly and sweetly, the urgency abated. 

Erem smiled against his lips and pushed him away. “I need a real dinner now. Are you ready to go back.”

“Your face is a mess,” said Barach. He licked the corner of Erem’s mouth, but the blue skinned boy shoved him back, laughing.

“Yuck! I’ll wash in the water. I don’t want to smell like your spit, either.”

After making sure their clothes were back in place, they listened at the door for any sign of movement. The hall remained empty. They ducked out, checked both directions, then hurried out toward the open air together. 

The railing opened out near the plummeting waterfall, and Erem leaned over, scooping it in his hands and splashing it on his face. He rubbed at his skin until he felt he was clean, but his top got wet, too. He returned to Barach, pushing his damp, sand colored hair back from his face. While wet, his hair stayed back, making it easier to focus on Erem’s pale yellow eyes.

“Ready?” Barach asked, admiring Erem. 

“Yeah, I’m starving. Let’s go.”

They flew back up to get Gabriel, then went with him to the dining hall. A shared glance between them was the only acknowledgment of the secret they kept hidden from everyone, including their friend.


	11. Gabriel: 1st Degree of Justice, 593 DE

Gabriel sat with his friends in the dining hall. They’d both come back from their quick afternoon flight breathless and flushed. Erem had apparently tried to cool off in the waterfall, but mostly he had only succeeded in making his hair and shirt all wet. They talked about mindless things while they ate, and for that Gabriel was grateful. He was nearly done with his meal, sucking sticky rice from his fingers, when Alex and his tutor showed up at the table. 

“Can he sit here while I get our food?” Remiel asked.

Gabriel watched the way Alex stood, avoiding eye contact. “Did you learn something new today?” he asked. The little boy’s black brow furrowed, and he remained silent.

“It was a hard day,” said Remiel. “Why don’t you sit down and tell your brother about it?” He guided Alex to the bench in the spot across from Gabriel. Barach scooted over a bit to give him more space, which was nice. Alex hadn’t quite gotten used to Barach yet.

Beside Gabriel, Erem tapped his own tray, pointing to a couple figs he hadn’t eaten yet. Gabriel gave him a quick smile and took them, holding them out to Alex while Remiel went off to get their food.

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Gabriel asked. “Go ahead and eat while you tell me what happened.”

Alex took the figs from Gabriel’s hand with his grey nailed fingers. Briefly, Gabriel wondered if that would ever go away. Maybe they just needed time to grow out.

“I woke up this morning on time, but then I had a performance.” Alex looked down at the figs in his hand while he spoke. 

“A what?” asked Gabriel.

Alex’s shoulders and wings twitched up in a little shrug. “That’s what the Isten called it.”

“You met an Isten today? Which one?”

“K-Kas…?”

“Kasdeja?” Barach supplied helpfully. He was leaning back, giving Alex enough space so the small boy wouldn’t feel confined. He rested his arm on the table and sat sideways so he could watch the exchange fully. 

Alex wouldn’t look right at Barachiel, but he nodded. “Yes. Her.”

“What did you perform for Isten Kasdeja?” asked Gabriel. 

“Not like that,” Alex whispered. “It was in the hall, and then the Isten spoke to me in the medic room.”

Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat. “You were in the medic’s room?”

Alex took a bite of one of the figs. He chewed it slowly, using that as an excuse to delay answering. When he finally spoke, he said, “I stayed there all morning. I skipped my flight lesson.”

“You skipped- What are you talking about Alex?! Why did you go see the medic?!” His voice was too loud, and Alex cringed, looking down. Gabriel wanted to reach across the table and shake him. He dropped his voice to a sharp whisper and said, “We can’t afford to have people asking questions. Why were you in the medic’s room?”

Alex’s body trembled as he took in a shuddering breaths. He didn’t respond, though, and that made Gabriel angry. Did he not understand how important it was for them to remain hidden? Medic Haniel would definitely start asking questions if she noticed anything unusual about the small boy. 

He was about to start yelling, when Erem touched his arm. He turned to his friend, furious. Erem flinched a little, but pointed at Barach. 

Very calmly, Barach put his finger up to his mouth, silently shushing Gabriel. Gabriel bristled, his wings expanding behind him in tense annoyance. However, he sat there quietly and waited to see how Barach would handle things.

With endless patience, Barach spoke to Alex. “Sounds like you’ve had a pretty hard first day of classes. You didn’t get a chance to fly this morning?”

Alex shook his head quickly. “No.”

“Were you excited to learn how to fly?”

“No,” Alex answered bluntly. 

“Why not?”

Alex lifted his head a little and glanced at Barachiel. “I’m afraid of falling. The academy is too high.”

Barach nodded compassionately. “It is very high, isn’t it? Can you fly at all?”

“A little.” Alex looked over at Gabriel, meeting his gaze with his black eyes for a brief moment. “My brother taught me.”

Gabriel felt the anger leech out of him. Alex had been so nervous when Gabriel first helped him fly up to the spire over the stables at home. It had taken time, but eventually Alex had been able to fly around the roof freely. He had been happy. Gabriel assumed Alex would be just as happy to fly here, at the academy, but instead, he was still acting scared. 

“Gabriel taught you, huh? He’s not a very good teacher,” said Barach. Gabriel’s eye twitched with annoyance. He glared at his older friend, hating him a little bit right then. Barach just smiled back. “If you want, I can show you how to really fly. You can come down with me to the stables in the valley on the days we don’t have class. It’ll be good for you, and you won’t be high up.”

“No, no beasts,” Gabriel interjected. 

“I’ll keep him safe. Don’t worry so much.” Barach smiled at Alex. “What do you think?”

Alex looked uncertainly up at Barach, but he nodded. “Yes.”

Remiel walked back over with a couple platters of food. He sat beside Alex with a quick snap of his wings, and placed the food before them. “So? Have you gotten to the class yet?”

Alex shook his head and started eating quickly, stuffing his cheeks with rice. Remiel sighed heavily, then explained the whole day to them, starting with this morning’s incident.

Gabriel felt bad for yelling at Alex after he found out what he meant by ‘performance.’ He’d passed out, overwhelmed by seeing all the students in the gap. Morning at the academy could get awfully noisy as everyone rushed about, trying to get breakfast and head to class. He was ashamed he hadn’t realized how poorly his little brother might respond to crowds.

In the busy dining hall, Alex appeared to be doing better. It was loud, but siting at the table, he didn’t have to look at anyone he didn’t already know. 

Gabriel really needed to work with him on not being afraid of other people. He just didn’t know when he would have the time.

When Remiel explained the class, Gabriel frowned again. “You didn’t listen to Fuzzi at all?” Alex flinched, but didn’t say anything. “Terran Fuzhtethiel is young, but he’s a good teacher. He was a student here only, what? Two years ago?” He looked to Erem for confirmation.

“I think three, now. After he graduated, he just stuck around to keep teaching.” Erem smirked. “Remember that time he caught us setting up the powder bombs in the bath?”

The memory made Gabriel laughed. “Yes. He just backed out of the room like he didn’t see anything.”

“Man, that was a mess,” Barach said pushing his hand back through his dark hair, but he smiled. 

“That was you three?!” Remiel exclaimed, leaning forward. “I was covered in powder for weeks! The whole ninth year was!” He glared at them all. “It went _everywhere_.”

Gabriel and his friends laughed. It had been a great prank, and one they hadn’t gotten caught for.

Remiel huffed, annoyed. “You three are the worst, you know that? I don’t think any of you should be teaching Alexiel anything, or he’s going to turn out just as bad.”

“He’d be lucky to turn out like me,” Erem said proudly. He puffed out his wings behind him. 

“No way,” Gabriel said, grinning at Erem. “I want him to learn something, not get dumber.”

Erem punched him in the shoulder hard, but it didn’t hurt. The blue skinned boy wasn’t nearly as strong as Barachiel, or even Gabriel. Still, Gabriel grabbed his shoulder and acted like it hurt, leaning away from his friend and hissing with pain.

“Better he turn out like me than you,” Erem quipped. “You’re nothing but hair and a bad attitude.”

Gabriel pointed a finger in his face. “Hey. I would cut my hair if I was allowed to. You know that.”

Erem wrinkled his nose at him. “Whatever. It’s not like your father would actually find out.”

The sinking dread flooded back in to Gabriel’s chest. “Yeah,” he said softly, looking away from Erem. “He always finds out.”

“We should go,” said Barachiel. “It’s getting late, and I’ve got classwork I need to catch up on.” That was a lie. Gabriel looked up at Barach, confused, and then realized why he was saying it. He was diverting the subject, and giving Gabriel a chance to head back to his room, which was exactly what Gabriel needed.

Gabriel turned to his little brother, who was still picking over his food. “Tomorrow, I expect you try harder in your class. Listen to Fuzzi. Make some friends. Okay?”

“Yes, Brother,” came the soft reply, but Alex didn’t look up to meet his eyes.

Waving goodbye, the three friends got up, stacked their trays, and returned them to the kitchen. They returned to their shared room, where Gabriel was allowed to study in peace.


	12. Alex: 2nd Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex attends his flight lesson finally, with a little coaxing from Remiel. It's not nearly as bad as he thought it would be, though Remiel looks awful pale by the end of it.

The plan for the next morning was to leave early, before anyone else was up, in order to make it to the flight class without dealing with the crowd. Obviously, that didn’t work. Alex clung to the mattress as Remiel grabbed his leg, trying to pull him out of bed.

“How can you be so strong for being so little!?” griped Remiel breathlessly as he strained to detach Alex from the bed.

“It’s too early!”

“I don’t care, Alexiel! You have to wake up!”

It was no use. Alex didn’t let go, and eventually Remiel gave up, afraid he might hurt the boy. He stormed off in a huff. 

Alex crawled back in bed, pulling the covers around his head. He never had to wake up early before. He always got to sleep in for most of the day. In fact, the only time he ever had breakfast was when Jequn kept him in his room all night. Then, the Isten would wake him when he was ready to leave in the morning. Alex would sit with him downstairs at the table, nibbling on food until Jequn finished eating and left. Even after that, Alex had always been allowed to go back to bed.

Jequn had preferred Alex’s presence late at night, so there was never any insistence that Alex wake up in the mornings. Since coming to the academy, he was not happy about the expected change to his sleep schedule. 

It was hard being awake that early. He did not like it.

Remiel stomped back into the room. Alex heard something slosh before the feelings of _cold_ and _wet_ covered him. Alex flung back the covers, gasping, suddenly very awake. Remiel stood in front of him sternly, holding the large pitcher that he had just upended over Alex. 

Shocked, Alex looked at his blankets. They were soaked. He was soaked. There were little bits of ice frozen to the fabric. He looked back up at Remiel. He had never been woken so rudely in his life! 

“It’s time to get up,” Remiel said, his words a challenge. “Or do I need to go get more ice water?”

Alex’s brow furrowed. He glared up at his tutor. “You wouldn’t.”

“I will, Alexiel. I’ll do it. You’re a little beast in the mornings, and I have absolutely no problem dumping cold water on you again if you try to go back to sleep.”

“My bed is all wet.” 

“It’ll be dry before night if you get up now.”

Alex climbed out of bed, his little bare feet flat on the the cold stone floor. He glared up at Remiel. “Happy?”

Remiel pointed toward the bathing room. “Go warm up in the shower, and don’t you dare get your wings wet.”

“Fine!” Alex snapped, walking away. He slammed the door behind him and heard Remiel swear some phrases Alex only knew half the words for. 

Once he was in the bathing room by himself, the realization of what he had just done overcame Alex. He immediately felt guilty.

He had yelled at Remiel and made him angry. He had refused to listen to him. He had even been laying in bed, clinging to memories where Jequn abused him, just because he got to sleep in. 

_What was wrong with him_?! Why would he ever think anything like that?

Living with Jequn had been miserable. He hated it. He hated the pain and torment that man inflicted on him, and he hated the way Jequn made him feel. Everything in his chest felt broken and fractured, and it confused him, because he wasn’t injured. The wounds on his back were just dull marks, barely noticeable. Nothing else was wrong, but he _hurt_.

Arguing with Remiel had almost made him feel better, but at the same time, he felt worse. He didn’t want Remiel to hate him. He liked Remiel. He liked listening to the older boy’s endless stories, even if he didn’t understand half of them. He didn’t want him to go away.

He turned on the shower, feeling the hot water as it sprinkled down into the stone basin. He let it run while he pulled off his cold, damp clothes. Mindful of his wings, Alex put his shivering body into the hot water and let it warm him. 

He needed to apologize to Remiel. He needed to wake up in the mornings without fighting. It should be simple. Why couldn’t he just be good?

After a while, Alex turned the water off. He hadn’t used any soap, but he had gotten his hair wet. Stepping out of the basin to stand in the steaming room, Alex realized he didn’t have a towel or any clothes in there. He looked at the cold, wet fabric he had worn in. He didn’t want to put that back on. 

Cautiously, Alex cracked open the bathing room door. “Remiel?” he called.

“Yes, Alexiel?” His tutor still sounded annoyed. 

“I forgot a towel.”

After a couple seconds, a fluffy rectangle of fabric was pressed into the opening. Alex took it and pulled it back in, closing the door. He quickly dried himself off, though his wet hair clung to his skin. He wrapped the towel around himself and pushed the door back open.

Clutching the fabric to his chest, he stared down at the floor by Remiel’s slippered feet. “I’m sorry,” Alex said.

“I forgive you, Alexiel, but we’re already late. Instructor Dardiel is going to have my feathers. She does not like me, _at all_ , and this isn’t the best way for you to begin her class.” 

Alex raised his eyes so he could see Remiel’s face. His brown hair softly curled around his bronze skin, but his bright green eyes avoided looking directly at Alex. He was still definitely annoyed.

“Why doesn’t she like you?”

“Apparently, I talk to much,” Remiel huffed. 

Shifting from foot to foot, Alex wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He had said ‘sorry.’ Just the words, like Gabriel told him to. Then Remiel said he forgave Alex. That was supposed to be enough, but it still didn’t feel like Alex had actually been forgiven. Remiel was still unhappy.

“I didn’t get my wings wet,” Alex said quietly. 

“At least there’s that.” Remiel walked over and picked up a folded outfit. He held it out to Alex after glancing at the wet bed, where he normally laid out the clothes. “Get dressed.”

“Yes, Remiel,” he said, taking the clothes from the older boy. Remiel walked back across the room, busying himself with something on the desk. He kept his back turned while Alex dropped the towel and quickly pulled on the clothes. He tried crossing the short sleeve top in the back, but it twisted, not covering as much of his skin as it should when he brought the ends to the front. 

Remiel glanced back, saw that Alex was nearly dressed, and turned around. “I’ll help.”

“Yes, please,” Alex said dejectedly. He couldn’t do anything right on his own. Remiel knelt behind him, careful not to touch his wings, and smoothed out the fabric. He had Alex turn as he pulled the ends to the front so that he could make a nice, tight bow across his belly.

Crouched before Alex, Remiel looked up. He smiled a little, pushing past his annoyance. “Are you ready for your first flight lesson?”

He wanted to answer ‘no,’ but he knew that wasn’t what Remiel wanted to hear. “Yes. I’m ready.” Remiel helped him tie back his hair, and then he was as ready as he could be.

Alex stepped into the soft, ankle high slippers and followed Remiel from the room. The bottom of one silken slipper had worn through already, and he could feel the cold stone through the tiny hole. Shoes like this were not designed for children like him. They were designed for children who spent most their time flying. It was unfortunate they wouldn’t let him walk around barefoot.

The fissure between the two sides of Archridge Academy was empty, the only sound from the waterfall. The stairs up were silent, too, like the halls had been yesterday afternoon when Remiel walked with Alex from the medic’s room. Everyone was already in class. 

“I’m going to be in so much trouble,” Remiel muttered as they climbed up the steps. 

They went up two flights before Alex could see the open sky at the end of the staircase. They climbed the remaining three flights while Alex wondered how angry Remiel would be if he just turned around and went back down.

As they reached the top, Alex decided he was going to do it. He did not want to be up there, but Remiel sensed his hesitation. The older boy touched the back of his neck lightly. 

“We’re not turning back now, Alexiel.” They took the last two steps, and then they were in the open, on the plateau above the cliffs of Archridge Academy. 

The world stretched forever beyond the stone arch that connected the two sides of the academy. The distant land appeared to curve away from them at the farthest edge, fading into a blue haze. Behind them, on the flat land above the cliffs, stood a tight gathering of buildings that Alex could only assume to be the town of Marut. Though it was closer, he couldn’t see the edges of the town any easier than he could see the edges of the world. It was like a jungle before him, but made of buildings.

“I need to go back,” Alex announced. 

“No, not a chance, Alexiel, we’re going to this flying lesson if I have to carry you. Once you meet Instructor Dardiel, _then_ you can try to get out of class, but it is not my decision.” They started walking across a worn dirt path toward a ring of large stones set in a grassy area neath the edge of the cliff. Alex could make out the shapes of a few winged people standing in a short line.

He looked up at Remiel. “I lied. I’m not ready to go.”

“You’ll do fine, Alexiel. Half the struggle of doing something new is just showing up.” He smiled down at him. “Besides, I don’t want Headmaster Iscriel to think I’m not able to get you to class every day. I like being your tutor.”

“Even when I’m bad?” he asked quietly, squinting against the bright morning sun.

“Yes. Maybe even more so,” Remiel replied with a quick laugh. “You’re difficult sometimes, Alexiel, but little kids are supposed to be difficult. When you talk back to me or argue with me, it’s like I’m seeing the real you, not someone you think you have to be. And I think I’d like to stick around and get to know the real you more. Besides, who else will listen to all my stories?”

They got closer to the group. Alex wasn’t sure he understood Remiel completely, but he did feel a little better. “Will you stay with me for the class?”

“Sure, I’ll stay. If Instructor Dardiel doesn’t throw me off the cliff.”

The children lined up before the tall ring of stones were all younger than Alex. They watched as he approached. A woman with short, brown and grey hair turned toward them as she followed the gaze of the class. She flew over, barely leaving the ground.

“Ah, this must be the young Ahnnak Alexiel I have heard would be joining my class,” said the sharp eyed woman. “I was beginning to think someone just made you up.”

“Sorry, ma’am,” said Remiel. “That was my fault. Yesterday we had a bit of an incident.”

“Ahnnak Remiel.” The Instructor frowned as she looked Remiel up and down. “You still favor your left side. Straighten up! Eyes front, chin raised!” she barked. 

Remiel snapped to attention immediately, his wings spread behind him. For a few seconds, he remained perfectly motionless. “Wait,” he said, as he realized what he was doing, “I’m not even in your class anymore.”

“There is always room for improvement, especially in cases like yours. You must keep your shoulders even, or you’re going to be flying in circles,” she critiqued. “If you had ever listened to me, you would know that.”

Remiel frowned at her and nudged Alex forward. “This is the Ahnnak Alexiel, your new student.”

Alex froze, trembling, as the woman approached him. She was not much taller than him, but definitely intimidating. 

Except, when she looked at Alex, she smiled. Little wrinkles formed at the corners of her eyes. “Hello, Ahnnak Alexiel,” she said in a soft voice. “Welcome to my class. Go line up with the other children.”

Alex looked back at Remiel for help, but the older Ahnnak just waved him forward with a couple flicks of his ringed fingers. Slowly, Alex walked over and stood in line next to a small girl who sucked her thumb. She looked up at him with big eyes, but didn’t say anything. 

“That’ll be all, Ahnnak Remiel,” said the instructor dismissively. 

“I’m actually going to stay around and watch,” Remiel said contentiously. His wings puffed out behind him.

“I can’t have you setting bad examples for my students. If you’re going to stay, you have to go over there, by that tree,” she said, pointing to a lone tree far away from the stone circle.

“I think I should stay closer,” he replied, crossing his arms.

“Is that too far away?” she mocked. “If only there were some way to move quickly through the air from one point to another. If only we had some ability to cover distances in seconds, instead of a slow trudge through the dirt like beasts.” 

Remiel glared at her, his mouth pressed into a thin, tight line. “Fine. I’ll go sit by the tree.”

“Oh, thank the Isten,” she praised sarcastically, throwing her hands into the air. She returned to the young class with a couple precise beats of her wings. Remiel made a face behind her back, and even though she wasn’t looking at him, she said, “I saw that, Ahnnak Remiel.”

Alex’s tutor paled and darted over to the tree, trying not to draw anymore attention to himself. Instructor Dardiel smiled kindly at the young students.

“Alright, little ones, let’s do our stretches. Wings wide, arms wide.” She spread her arms and white wings straight out on either side of her. The little kids in the class all did the same, though the girl right next to Alex left her thumb in her mouth. 

Embarrassed, Alex just stood there. The instructor looked at him expectantly, one eyebrow raised. Meekly, Alex spread his arms. His wings didn’t want to open though, and remained locked against his back. 

Dardiel continued without bringing any more attention to Alex. She seemed content as long as he was at least trying to follow along. “Arms up, wings up, reaching for Ahn,” she said, smoothly raising her arms and wings. She held the pose for a few seconds, then slowly lowered them, breathing out. “Again.”

The class followed along with her instruction in the calm morning air. As they went through the moves, Alex discovered there was a pattern to the actions. 

_Breathe in. Move. Breathe out. Hold._

After a while, even Alex’s wings relaxed enough to stretch out, following the movement of his arms. They moved through more complex poses. 

“Stand like the warriors, brave and strong,” the instructor said. He tried to mimic her pose, but his front leg was bent, and his back leg was stretched too far. He wobbled, but he wasn’t the only one. One of the children toppled over into the grass, where he lay for a moment before he started laughing.

The laugh broke the peace of the morning, and the other children started giggling, too. Alex worried that Dardiel would get angry, but she just smiled. 

“Alright, I think it’s time for us to start flying,” she said. “Line up at the stones. Let’s get our runs in, and then we’ll play a game.” 

A couple of the children cheered, and they hurried over to stand next to a small rock beside the large ring of stones. 

The instructor picked up on Alex’s hesitation before he did more than fold his wings. She approached him, waving her wings behind her as she walked. “Ahnnak Alexiel? Have you flown before?”

“A little,” he said shyly. 

“Then you will do just fine. Come along. I would like you to try today, but do not worry if you have trouble. This will help me determine where you are developmentally.”

Nervously, Alex followed her over to join the other children. She put him at the end of the line. 

“Alright, one at a time. Pay attention to the gaps. First run, single stone.” Her wings stroked the air, lifting her up from the ground effortlessly. She hovered above the stones. “Codiel, you’re up first.”

A little boy with dark green hair scaled the first stone, flapping his wings frantically to help him to the top. He only wore a thin wrap of fabric tied around his waist, but he seemed perfectly comfortable standing before everyone. He was missing his front two teeth as he grinned broadly back at his friend on the ground. “Watch thith,” he lisped.

Dardiel hovered beside the stone, watching with sharp eyes. The little boy tensed, focused on the next rock, and sprang. His wings beat a couple times and he landed on the edge of the nearest rock in the high stone circle.

With carefully timed jumps, the boy hopped from rock to rock, using his wings to help him make the distance. There were a few times when he almost jumped too far. His arms flailed, wings beating at the air to pull him back.

“Careful, Codiel, watch your span.” Dardiel flew in the inside of the circle, alert. 

When Codiel made it half way around the circle, she nodded for the next child to begin. A girl with tightly braided hair jumped up, bounding across the stones easily. She hardly used her wings at all, just leaped from one to the next. 

“Yukiel, wings out. Two beats per stone. Keep it even,” said Dardiel. The girl listened, extending her wings. She went slower, concentrating hard to get the timing right, but continued around the stone circle. 

When Codiel reached the stone he started on, he hopped down, slapping his friend’s hand in the air. The next child climbed up.

The line continued rapidly, and Alex realized with dread that he would be expected to participate when it was his turn. The line reformed behind him, so he couldn’t even back up. 

The last child climbed up the rock, and Alex waited apprehensively for Dardiel to signal his turn. Except, even when the girl before him reached the halfway point, Dardiel didn’t call his name. The girl hopped the whole way around the stones and down, and Alex hoped Instructor Dardiel had forgotten about him.

Unfortunately, she had not. With all the other children on the ground, Dardiel said, “Alright, Alexiel, do your best.” 

“I can’t,” he replied, looking up at her.

“Try, Alexiel. I will catch you if you fall.” 

It was clear she wasn’t going to let him out of it. He took a deep breath and pulled himself up onto the first rock. It wasn’t hard. No worse than climbing onto the log where he often waited for the pardua Hadasha. 

The next stone was further away. Dardiel smiled encouragingly. “Spread out your wings. Three strong strokes will get you up. Don’t be shy.”

Alex’s heart pounded in his chest. It wasn’t the jump that scared him. It was everyone watching him. He couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he was going to get in trouble if he used his wings where people could see him. 

He checked with Dardiel again, but her sharp gaze was insistent. She expected him to try. He breathed in deeply, spread his wings, and jumped.

He didn’t jump high enough. His shin hit the hard stone edge, scraping along the rock, as he landed on his belly on the stone. His chin bounced off the rock, and he saw a patina of sparks before his eyes. 

The quick shock of pain cleared his head. It was familiar, in a terrible kind of way, and helped him focus. Helped him remember why he was there and what he had escaped from. The chance to fly freely was worth a little pain, because nothing was worse than what Jequn had done to him. 

Dardiel flew up to the stone, hands out like she could have caught him, clearly concerned. “Alexiel, are you alright?” she asked.

He pushed himself up to his feet and nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Can you continue?” she asked.

“Yes, Instructor Dardiel,” he said, preparing for his next jump. He wasn’t graceful, but he made the next jump, pushing himself through the air with his wings. The gap wasn’t big enough to fully fly, so he had to control his wingbeats and time his landings. It was a lot harder than the other children made it look, but he continued on.

Dardiel stayed just behind him, floating along in the center of the stone circle. Each jump got a little easier to judge, but he still landed on his hands and knees half the time. The rough stone tore at his skin. 

When he reached the last stone and hopped down, Dardiel landed beside him. “Not bad, Ahnnak Alexiel. Let me see your wings.”

“You’re not going to pull out my feathers, are you?” he asked.

“No, of course not.” She motioned for him to turn around. He sighed and did, tensing his wings. “Hm. That’s what I thought. Alright, Alexiel, why don’t you go over and sit with your tutor. I’ll be over in a moment.”

Wait, that was it? He was done already? He looked over his shoulder at her. “I can go?”

“You can go wait for me,” she said crisply. “Over there.” She waved him away. Alex started walking away from the stones, a little confused. 

Remiel sat beneath the tree weaving grass together, and didn’t notice Alex’s approach until he crossed half the field. When he did, Remiel popped up and flew toward him in a panic. By the way Remiel gaped at Alex as he landed, the young boy could tell something was very wrong.


	13. Remiel: 2nd Degree of Justice, 593 DE

Remiel shot through the air to his young charge, who was covered in blood. “What happened?!” he exclaimed, landing in front of Alex. The boy stared up at him, his black eyes confused. “The blood, Alexiel! Why are you covered in blood?!”

Alex relaxed. “Oh. That.”

“ _That?!_ It’s blood! And a lot of it!” 

The little boy shrugged. “I fell a couple times on the rocks.”

Remiel shook his head in disbelief. He grabbed Alex’s hands and turned them over. His palms were scraped raw. His chin was, too. Blood dripped down his neck and stained his shirt. His knees still had little stones embedded in the skin, but the gash on his shin really concerned Remiel. The skin was torn back, leaving a ‘V’ shaped wound that gaped at him like a red mouth.

“Y-You need to see the medic,” Remiel said, feeling nauseous.

Alex pulled out of his hands. “I’m fine. I don’t want to see the medic.”

“But your leg-”

“No.” The little boy walked by Remiel and headed toward the tree. “I’m going to stay here until Instructor Dardiel comes.”

“You’re hurt, Alexiel,” said Remiel, following after him. 

The black-haired boy sat defiantly under the tree. “I’m not going back to the medic.” He stretched out his leg and looked curiously at the wound. He poked at it a few times.

“Stop that!” Remiel crouched beside him, batting his hand away. “You’ll make it worse.”

“It’s not that bad. It just needs to be stuck back down.” Alex started poking at his wound again. Remiel had to turn away as the boy started squishing all the skin back in place. He got up and went to the tree, leaning heavily against the rough bark. 

_Ugh_ , thank the Isten he wasn’t a healer. He just didn’t have the stomach to see wounds like that all the time. How could Alex be so calm about it?

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Remiel asked, keeping his back turned. He knew his wings weren’t laying flat against his back. They quivered with tension, but there was nothing he could do to disguise how he felt.

“No, not really,” said Alex. “Do you have anything I can tie this down with?”

Incredulous, Remiel turned and stared at the blood covered child. “It doesn’t hurt? You’re covered in blood! How can you say it doesn’t hurt?”

Alex ignored the question, his black eyes watching Remiel, devoid of emotion. “…Like a vine, or some long grass… Anything really.”

“Damn it, Alexiel.” Remiel pulled out a small handkerchief from his pocket. The crooked square was one of the first things he’d woven, but he handed it to Alex. “Use this. I’ll braid some grass to hold it in place.”

“Thank you, Remiel.” He pressed the cloth down over his leg and waited patiently while Remiel used the tall grass around them to weave a thin rope. He sat beside Alex while he worked, but tried not to look at the blood.

By the time the grass rope was long enough to wrap around Alex’s leg and hold the handkerchief in place, Dardiel had given the rest of the class a break. The children played within the stone circle, laughing and shrieking as they chased each other around.

Remiel handed Alex the rope and stood, walking over to confront the instructor as she flew up.

“What happened?” he demanded as she stepped out of the air before him. 

“Hm? Oh, that. He’ll be fine. Ahnnak are very resilient,” she said dismissively.

“ _I’m_ an Ahnnak!” Remiel exclaimed. 

“I always forget that,” said Dardiel derisively. She glared up at him. Even though Remiel had grown taller than her since he took her class, she was still daunting. Her sharp eyes stared at him like she could see all his flaws. It unnerved him. 

Dardiel approached Alex. “Ahnnak Alexiel, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” said the blood covered boy, still tying the grass rope around the fabric covering his wound. Remiel realized he was having trouble making a knot and went over to assist him. Alex let him without protest.

“That’s wonderful. You did well on your first run. I’m very pleased with how you kept trying, and made it all the way around the course.”

Remiel had to stop and look up at Dardiel. She sounded sincere. She was even _smiling_ at Alexiel. What was going on?!

“Thank you, Instructor,” replied Alex.

“You’re a very brave boy, aren’t you? I remember having your brother in my class. He was very brave, too. You remind me a lot of him.”

“I-I do?” Alex said, looking up at Dardiel as if he had just seen starlight for the first time. His black eyes seemed to swirl with the praise.

“Oh yes, I think you’re going to do very well at flying, once your wings get stronger.” Dardiel crouched down beside Alex so she was even with him. “How many times have your wings been broken?”

Remiel’s heart skipped a beat. He knew Alex had been in some sort of accident when he was younger and broken his wings once, but Gabriel had made it pretty clear it was a topic not to be discussed with the black-haired boy. Dardiel waited for an answer patiently. Remiel almost volunteered the information, but then, Alex spoke, and Remiel couldn’t find the words to say anything.

“Four.”

“Four,” Dardiel repeated softly. “That’s what I thought.”

Concerned he might get in trouble, Alex quickly explained, “It was an accident. It’s okay. I heal. I’m not made of wood.”

Dardiel nodded along as if that made sense. “Your wings did heal, Ahnnak Alexiel, but they are smaller than they should be for your age. You’ve been delayed.”

“What does that mean?” asked Alex.

“It means that you’re going to have to work twice as hard to fly as other children your age. It means your wings can hold you, but flight will put a lot of strain on your body.”

“So I shouldn’t fly?”

“That’s silly. Of course you should fly,” she said. “But you need to get stronger. I’ll help you, and if you listen and do the exercises exactly as I tell you, I bet you’ll be flying circles around your brother in no time.”

Alex beamed. “Really?”

Instructor Dardiel nodded. “I’m sure of it. But I think for today, we’ve done enough. Go ahead and leave early, get cleaned up before lunch.” Dardiel looked at Remiel. “Can you take it from here?”

Remiel nodded, still a stunned by the knowledge that Alex had broken his wings _four_ times, not just once. 

“Good. We’ll see you tomorrow, Ahnnak Alexiel. Don’t be late.” Dardiel stood. She flew back to her class, her wings cutting through the air, barely stirring the wind. 

Alex smiled up at Remiel. “I like this class.”

For a moment, Remiel could only stare down at the happy, smiling, bloody child. Then he sighed. “Let’s get you back to your room before anyone else sees you.” 

Without complaint, Alex followed.


	14. Alex: 6th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has reached the end of his first week of class at Archridge. He's slowly starting to adjust to the routine, but his teacher has a surprise for the class.

“I hope you all had a good first week back after the Harvest. Everyone has learned a lot, yes?” Nobody in Alex’s class responded. The teacher continued, undaunted. “Today we’re going to start our calendar project! Yay!” Fuztethiel waved his hands in the air like he was cheering. 

Of all the words the teacher said, none of them sounded like something for Alex to cheer about. 

Alex pulled his sore wings in tighter against his back. In this morning’s flight class, Dardiel had them using their wings to make a large pile of leaves. The amount of effort it took to continuously blow even a single leaf across the ground had been exhausting. But at the end, she let them all take turns jumping into the decaying leaves, and even Alex had enjoyed that.

The dull ache still remained hours later, but it was different from the pain Alex was accustomed to. He flexed his wings a little, then pulled them tight again just to feel the tenderness. It wasn’t bad at all.

Fuztethiel continued talking as he walked slowly across the front of the room. “Now, we’ve been learning about the constellations and our solar system lately. Everybody can identify Ahn in the night sky, right?” There was a little murmur of agreement from the students. 

A girl’s hand shot up in the air. “But if Ahn is so small, how can so many people live on it?”

“It’s not small, stupid,” said a girl next to her.

“It is too,” the first girl shot back. “I saw it, and it was just a dot in the sky.”

Fuztethiel smiled and raised his hands, calming the class down before they got too far out of control. “Ahn is very far away, that’s why it looks so small from Ter. It is slightly smaller than this planet, the one all of us were all born on, but it also has less gravity.” He looked around the room, peering through his round spectacles. “Does anyone remember what gravity does?”

“It pulls down, so it’s harder to fly.”

“Gravity is what made the Ahn colonists have to stay in their reserve after they arrived.”

“Kind of, for both answers,” the teacher said. “The colonist reserve was constructed by the Isten to keep the citizens healthy after they arrived on Ter. Their bones were not strong enough for the gravitational force of this planet, but they were also unable to handle the oxygen content in the air. It made them sick. But I’m afraid we’re getting off topic. We’ll be discussing history more next month.”

Several students groaned. Next to Alex, Uzzi loudly complained, “Again? But we already learned that.”

“Every year you’re old enough to understand a little more,” Fuztethiel said patiently. “Next year, you’ll even get to learn about the war with the Jinn.” A murmur of excitement went through the class. Even Uzzi seemed interested. The teacher continued. “But that’s next year. This year, right now, we’re doing a fun project!”

Uzzi deflated some, scrunching up his nose. His wings opened and closed restlessly against his back. One wing extended out far enough that it bumped Alex’s shoulder. “Oops, sorry,” Uzzi quickly apologized.

Alex didn’t respond. He scooted a little further away from the fiery boy.

Fuztethiel stood at the front of the class grinning. “For this project, you will be working in pairs. Go ahead and team up. There will be some time to work on it in class, but a majority of this project must be completed after hours, so make sure you pick someone you like working with.”

The class erupted in excited chatter. Alex felt dizzy. Pair up? He glanced fearfully around the room. Kids were running to each other, hugging and talking. Everyone had a friend. This wasn’t going to go well.

Tapping the desk to get his attention, Uzzi said, “You and me, partners.” Alex could only stare, unable to voice his protest, but then it was too late. Everyone else was already paired up.

Alex frowned as Fuztethiel resumed instructions of the project. He cast a sideways glance at Uzzi beside him, but the boy’s face had broken into a wide grin.

No, this was not going to go well at all. 

***

After class, Alex didn’t wait for Remiel to pick him up. He hurried out the door, slipping between people, trying to getting as far from the classroom and Uzzi as possible. Fuztethiel might have called after him to wait, but he wasn’t going to do it.

He walked quickly down the hall, just short of running. He didn’t want to get yelled at by any of the teachers watching from their rooms. 

Before Alex reached the steps leading down to the walkway around the edge of the academy, a voice behind him called his name. Someone grabbed his arm. He spun around, shocked to see that it was Uzzi.

“I’ve been calling after you. Didn’t you hear me?” the fiery boy asked breathlessly. 

Alex had never actually stood beside Uzzi before. The other boy was a bit taller than him, wider across his chest. His wings were almost always puffed up, making him look even bigger. Looking right at him, Alex realized most of Uzzi’s eyebrows were missing, leaving only two small dots of red fuzz above the inner corner of his eyes. It almost appeared as if the rest had been burnt off.

“Alex? Hello?” Uzzi said, waving his hand in front of his face. He hadn’t let go of Alex’s arm yet. “Can you hear me?”

“I can hear you. Please let me go.” Alex’s voice was quiet enough that he wasn’t sure Uzzi could hear him over the chatter in the hall. Other kids walked around them, mostly uninterested.

“Okay, sure,” Uzzi said, letting him go. Alex turned back around and started for the stairs. Uzzi fell in step beside him. “Don’t run, Alex. I’m not going to bite you.”

“I’m not running,” he replied, moving quickly, keeping his gaze lowered.

At the top step, Uzzi reached out and grabbed his arm again, stopping him. “Hey, are you scared of me?” He tilted his head a little when he asked. His sparse brow furrowed.

Alex looked at the boy’s hand on his arm resentfully. Uzzi wasn’t going to leave him alone until he got whatever he wanted from him. So he looked up at the boy’s face and answered honestly. “Yes, I’m scared of you.”

Uzzi’s eyes widened a bit. “So… you think you can just run away from me?” he asked. It was odd. The words made sense, but not the tone. It wasn’t a threat. It was more like the boy was confused. 

Appraising Uzzi again, Alex tried to determine if it actually was possible for him to run away from the boy. Uzzi was bigger than him, stronger than him, and clearly capable of flying. 

“No. I don’t think I can run from you.”

Uzzi snorted and released his hold on Alex’s arm. “You’re weird, Alex, you know that?” A wide grin stretched across his face. “I like weird. We’re friends now.”

_Friends_. Alex took a step back, but misjudged how close to the steps he was. There was no ground beneath his foot as his balance shifted. Surprised by Uzzi’s declaration, Alex couldn’t think fast enough to do anything other than fall. 

“Alex!” Uzzi reached out, trying to grab the same arm again. 

Alex had a brief moment to think, _Just let me fall_ , before Uzzi grabbed him and pulled. Yanked away from the stairs, but still off balance, Alex fell forward into the other boy’s arms. 

“Got you,” he said, relieved. The fiery boy held Alex, arms tight around his thin body. Pressed against Uzzi’s chest, Alex could hear his fast heartbeat. It was unpleasant. 

Alex pushed back against Uzzi’s chest. After a moment’s hesitation, Uzzi released him. He looked at Alex like he wanted to say something, but Remiel landed at the bottom of the stairs with a flurry of beating wings, and he didn’t get a chance.

“Get away from him!” Remiel yelled. He stomped up the steps, wings beating at the air, clearing people away from Alex. 

Uzzi’s eyes flared with defiant rage. “Who the hell are you!? Back off!” The boy’s wings puffed up, spreading wide. 

Remiel sneered at the boy and lunged, like he was going to hit him, though he never raised a hand. Uzzi jumped back, but when he realized it was a fake attack, he got angrier. His ears turned red and he puffed out his cheeks, fists clenching at his sides.

However, Remiel was already ignoring him. He crouched beside Alex, checking him over. “You alright, Alexiel? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” he answered. He was shaking, but unharmed. It could have been worse if Uzzi hadn’t caught him, but it would have been better if he hadn’t chased him at all. 

“Uzziel!” a feminine voice shrieked. 

At the bottom of the stairs was an older girl. Her white wings were folded against her back, but her wild and curly red hair still moved about her face as if she had just landed. Her eyes were fierce, focused on the three boys at the top of the stairs. 

Remiel glared down. “Why did you follow me, Zophiel?”

“I didn’t follow you, Remiel,” she replied scornfully. “That’s my brother.” She pointed past them to where Uzzi stood on the other side of Remiel and Alex. 

The boy deflated when he saw his sister, releasing the air in his cheeks in a small puff of smoke. As she started up the stairs, Uzzi moved, keeping Remiel and Alex between him and her. “I didn’t do anything wrong, Sophie!” he exclaimed.

“You little liar!” she yelled. “I walked around the corner and saw you fighting!” She tried grabbing him, reaching over Alex’s head. Uzzi ducked away.

“I wasn’t fighting!” He darted down the stairs as his sister made it to the top. “Tell her, Alex! I stopped him from falling!”

Sophie darted one way, then shifted as Uzzi reacted, and went the other way. She caught Uzzi on the stairs. “You little worm! I can’t believe you’re getting into fights again!” She held her struggling brother. 

When Uzzi realized he was caught, he looked up at her, his cheeks puffing out. She smacked a hand over his mouth. “Nuh-uh. Don’t you dare. Swallow it. Swallow it, you little fiend!” she demanded.

Uzzi struggled more, but she didn’t let go. Alex saw a little smoke come out of Uzzi’s flaring nostrils, and then the boy gave in. He swallowed hard, and his sister took her hand off his mouth. Uzzi panted, smoke curling up from the corner of his mouth. He glared at his sister, and she squeezed his arm hard. 

“I’m telling Mom and Dad,” she threatened.

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” he whined.

Alex looked between the two. He could definitely see the resemblance between them. They both had hair like fire and eyes to match. Light brown freckles dotted their pale skin over the bridge of each of their noses. Really, the only difference Alex could see between their faces were their eyebrows, because Sophie actually had them.

Remiel gently touched Alex’s shoulder. “What really happened? You don’t have to lie for him if he was trying to hurt you.”

Uzzi gave Alex a pleading look. Sophie watched him, too. As Alex looked around, he realized they were surrounded by other students, and at that moment, everyone was watching him. 

His vision started to blur. His chest felt tight, and his breathing came fast. He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice wouldn’t work. Too many eyes stared at him. 

Recognition flared in Remiel’s eyes. “I need to get him somewhere quiet.”

“We’re not done here,” said Sophie. 

“I don’t care,” Remiel snapped back at her. To Alex, he whispered, “Sorry. Bear with me,” and then picked the black-haired boy up, walking swiftly toward the open foyer. 

The sudden drop off the edge and wind against Alex’s face startled him, but soon, Remiel’s wings caught, and he started to climb up past the open archways. Remiel carried him up to the top of the cliffs, where the tall grasses swayed in the breeze. It was quiet, the post-class roar of the students drowned out by the waterfall rushing over the cliff. 

They landed beside one of the trees closer to the thin river. Remiel sat Alex down on the ground, but Alex quickly discovered his legs wouldn’t hold him. They were shaking too bad, so he just accepted that he would be sitting right there for a while. At least it was in the shade. He looked up at Remiel with wide, black eyes.

Remiel sighed. “I’m sorry. I know. I shouldn’t have carried you.” He pushed his hands back through his brown hair. “You looked like you were going to faint again. I didn’t know what else to do.”

As much as Alex hated being carried, Remiel was right. He had been about to faint again. It would have been another great performance for an Isten to scold him over. He was glad Remiel got him out of there when he did. 

His black hair snagged in the bark as Alex leaned back against the tree. He dug his fingers into the dirt. It reminded him of being home in the jungle. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pounding of his heart to slow.

There was a flurry of wings as two people landed near them on the grassy cliff. 

Remiel huffed. “Zophiel, now isn’t the time.”

“You can’t keep running away, Remiel.” 

Alex opened his eyes a tiny bit. Uzzi stood pouting beside his sister, her hold on his upper arm still tight. His wings were spread, but he looked rumpled, like he’d been dragged up there against his will. Sophie stood with a hand on one hip, glaring at Remiel as he approached.

“I’m not running away,” Remiel snapped back at her. “I’m in charge of taking care of Alexiel after class. It’s my job to keep him away from people like your brother.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Though it’s pretty obvious where he gets his bad attitude from.”

“Don’t you dare talk bad about my brother,” said Sophie, marching forward and shaking her finger in Remiel’s face.

“You saw him attack Alexiel, too, and now you’re going to defend him?”

“I didn’t attack him,” Uzzi whined. “We’re partners for a project in class.”

Sophie glared down at him. “Did you bully him into it?”

“Wow, you two really are exactly alike,” huffed Remiel. 

“Shut up, Remiel. I’ll deal with my little brother. I just need to know what actually happened. Let me talk to the other boy.”

Remiel spread his wings, blocking the way to Alex. “No way. I’m not letting you near him.”

Sophie got mad, her cheeks turning pink. “You think I’m going to hurt him?!”

“I think your whole family is violent and crazy,” Remiel snapped back.

Sophie released her hold on Uzzi so she could fully focus on Remiel. “I have never hurt anyone in my entire life! You’re just upset because I scored better than you on the tests today.”

“Like I even care! They just go easy on you because you’re a healer. I don’t want you or your violent brother near Alexiel again.”

“But the project,” Uzzi squeaked indignantly. “He’s my partner.”

Both Sophie and Remiel glared at Uzzi, and he ducked his head. The two older students went back to arguing.

Uzzi took the first moment they were distracted to dart under Remiel’s wing and rush over to Alex. He skidded to a halt and crouched in the dirt at Alex’s side. “I’m so sorry, Alex. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I forgot about your…” He motioned to Alex’s whole body. “Your condition.”

Crouched beside Alex, wings spread, Uzzi looked wild, like a captured ray of sunlight struggling to be contained within a boy. He also looked very sincere, and a little worried. 

“Leave him alone,” Sophie said, pushing past Remiel to walk up to them. She marched forward with fury, but as her eyes fell on Alex, she hesitated. Actually looking at him, her anger faded away, replaced with concern. A patient smile came over her face, and she approached Alex delicately, using a sweet and docile voice. “Hi, Alexiel. My name is Sophie. How are you feeling?” 

She pushed her brother back, and knelt by Alex where he had been. Uzzi rushed around the side of the tree so he was crouched on Alex’s other side. 

Remiel walked up, frowning. “He’s already seen your bad side, Zophiel. You can’t trick him now.”

She glared briefly at Remiel, but then turned kind eyes back to Alex. “I’m sorry we were yelling. Did it upset you?”

“No,” Alex said, watching her closely. She smelled warm, like flowers and sunshine.

“Was it the people?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see if I can help?”

“Help?” asked Alex.

“I’m a healer,” she explained. “Sometimes, there are ways to help calm certain fears.”

“I don’t think you can help me.”

Sophie tilted her head. “Can I try?”

“Zophiel, don’t mess with him,” said Remiel. “Just let him rest. Your brother has already put him through enough. We both saw him try to push Alexiel down the stairs.”

“Is that was really happened?” asked Sophie. 

Uzzi’s hand found Alex’s hand half buried in the dirt. Alex glanced at the fiery boy, and Uzzi mouthed, _Please_. 

“I tripped,” said Alex. “He caught me.”

“Alexiel, you don’t have to lie for him,” said Remiel.

“I’m not.”

“Yeah, he’s not!” said Uzzi happily.

“So there really is a project?” asked Remiel, eyebrow raised. Alex nodded. “And you two have to work on it together, outside of class?” Alex nodded again. Remiel frowned. “I don’t like it.”

Sophie stood up, brushing the dirt off her knees. “Well, it’s an assignment. They have to do it.”

“I’m not going to leave your delinquent brother alone with Alexiel. Who knows what he might try to do.”

Sohpie glared back at him. “What are you trying to imply?”

“That if your brother has even half your attitude, he’s going to be nothing but trouble. If that means I have to be there the whole project to watch over them, so be it.”

“Oh, ho, ho. You are an arrogant prick, Remiel!” retorted Sophie angrily. “If you think for one second I am leaving my baby brother alone with you, you’re are completely mistaken! If you’re there, I’ll be there.” She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest.

Uzzi turned thoughtful beside Alex. “Remiel… Rem… Remi…” he muttered. Realization struck the boy, and his face lit up. “Wait, _this_ is that Remi? The one you said had the prettiest green eyes, and a body that almost made up for what he was missing between his ears?”

Sophie’s face turned crimson. She spun on her brother and screamed, “UZZIEL!” She lunged, and Uzzi took off flying, kicking up dirt as he sped off, fearing for his life.

She started after him, but stopped, looking back at Remiel, her cheeks still red. “We’ll be in the library after dinner for the boys to start their project.” Then she jumped into the air and flew off after her brother.

Alex sat by the tree looking up at Remiel. “She’s the cute one, isn’t she?” he asked.

“She’s not cute,” Remiel replied, watching her fly away. A little smile tugged at the corners of his lips. 


	15. Gabriel: 6th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upset about how his new classes are going, Gabriel gets into a fight. Or two.

Gabriel walked out of his last class of the day with a dismal feeling in his gut. That test had not gone well. Nearly a whole month of studying, and the questions scrawled across the parchment might as well have been written in code. 

He trudged down the hall, barely able to hold his wings against his back. He felt drained. He just wanted to climb up into his bed and lay there for the next three days, not moving, and certainly not opening another book. What was the point?

Someone bumped into him, shoving him into the stone corridor. A layer of skin scraped off Gabriel’s forearm against the rough stone. He pushed himself off the wall, spinning to yell at the careless jerk who walked into him, but instead of some apologetic kid, Gabriel was faced with the intentional smirk of a older student nearly three times his size. 

“Ah, poor baby gonna cry?” the asshole mocked.

A flash of rage overcame Gabriel. He lunged forward, intent on taking this guy out, beating his face in, whatever it took, but someone attacked him from the side, throwing him off balance. Gabriel crashed back into the wall, this time hitting his face and splitting his lip. 

Laughter erupted behind him. Gabriel clenched his fists, tasting the blood in his mouth. He listened, tracking their movements behind him. He could use the wall to launch off, adding to his speed. If he could knock one of them off their feet, he could cause some serious damage before anyone stopped him. 

As he was about to move, an instructor walked down the hall, waving his hands. “Alright, break it up, break it up. Lorcasiel, move along. I know you’ve got somewhere better to be.” 

The laughing gang of idiots scoffed and wandered off, acting as if it were their idea to leave anyway. “See you, baby,” one sniped. 

Rage boiled within Gabriel. He hated them. 

The instructor approached Gabriel. “Are you okay, young Ahnnak? You should really go see the medic.”

“I’m fine. No one asked you to interfere,” Gabriel said scornfully as he shoved away from the wall. The instructor didn’t try to stop him as he walked away. 

At the end of the hall, Lorcasiel was standing with his cronies near the open arch to the gap. There were six of them total, more than Gabriel could handle on his own. Also, they were all much bigger than him, muscles bulging across their backs and arms. Two of them were Homm, and even without wings, they looked strong. 

One of them made kissing faces at Gabriel when he spotted him, and the rest quickly joined in. Gabriel set his jaw and walked by them, not making eye contact. He tried to stay calm, tried to reach the arch so he could fly off, but they blocked his path.

“Move,” Gabriel commanded, looking up at the Homm before him. 

“Who’s going to make me?” the Homm asked with a smirk. His friends enjoyed his attitude immensely. Gabriel did not.

Gabriel stepped to the side, like he was trying to get around the Homm, and the big, wingless boy predictably moved to stop him. However, the shift in weight put Gabriel at an advantage, and he darted forward, throwing himself against the Homm’s side as he slipped under his reaching grasp.

There was an instant of fearful disbelief in the Homm’s eyes as Gabriel smiled down at him, hovering in the open air beyond the arch. The Homm fell backward off the edge, and with no wings to slow him, plummeted toward the ground. 

“Shit!” someone yelled, and two of his friends dove over the edge, barely able to slow the Homm’s fall before they all landed on the ground in a tangle of limbs and feathers. 

Lorcasiel glared out at Gabriel, who looked back at the older boy with one fine, silver eyebrow raised. “Oops, he slipped,” said Gabriel insolently. 

“You’re dead, you rotten little fiend.”

“Catch me, ass maggot,” sneered the silver-haired boy. “Or will you only attack me when my back is turned?”

The commotion of the students falling brought more people out into the fissure of Archridge Academy. Instructors and students alike gathered at the balconies, craning over to see what happened. Some descended to the three on the ground, ready to help, even though they probably hadn’t hit the ground that hard. 

Out in the open like that, with everyone watching, Gabriel knew the other boys wouldn’t try to attack him. He also knew it wasn’t over between them. Gabriel didn’t care what problem Lorcasiel had decided to have with him, he just knew that shoving that Homm off the ledge had felt great. 

If they wanted to fight him, he’d be ready. He made a rude gesture to the gang still on the edge of the foyer, then turned and flew off. Next time, he wouldn’t let them go so easily.

***

“I am very disappointed in you,” said Headmaster Iscriel.

“It was an accident, sir” said Gabriel, looking up at the Terran. “I guess when he tried to grab me, he lost his balance. I tried to stop him, but he was too heavy for my little wings to support.”

Barachiel sat at the desk behind Gabriel, bare chested, having already taken off his shirt before the Headmaster arrived. Gabriel could feel his friend’s displeased energy radiating out from him. It was hard to tell by looking at Barach, but he was furious. 

“I have several eyewitness accounts that say otherwise, young Gabriel. Most of them say you shoved him. You’re lucky he only broke an arm.”

Gabriel tried to look sympathetic, though it was doubtful he succeeded. “That’s terrible! A broken arm? Don’t they put Homm down for broken arms?” 

Iscriel frowned down at him, unamused by the question. “I should suspend you for a week. Send word to your father.”

Suddenly, the conversation didn’t seem funny anymore. Gabriel felt his stomach sink. 

Barach stood from the bench and walked over. “You’re going to suspend him for not being strong enough to support a man twice his size? A man who had just attacked and threatened him?”

The Headmaster turned to Barach. “He’s not a man. He is one of your fellow students.”

“That’s right,” said Barach. “A Homm, here as a student because of his undeniable strength. A Homm at least four years older than Gabriel. A Homm that you don’t seem to care was seen by several students attacking an Ahnnak. Is that where your priorities lie, Headmaster? With the Homm?”

“This Academy is here to serve all students seeking to learn, young Barachiel,” said Iscriel sternly. 

“This Academy was designed by the Isten to ensure their heirs would receive an optimal education fitting their status.” He looked boldly at the headmaster as he said, “Is a Homm attacking an Ahnnak considered optimal to you, Terran Iscriel?”

Iscriel’s face contorted like he smelled something foul. Barachiel was being disrespectful by calling him Terran. “It’s Headmaster Iscriel within Archridge Academy. Being Ahnnak does not give either of you free reign to attack other students.”

“The only one who attacked was that Homm. Your youngest advanced curriculum student ever was ambushed after class. Your solution is to tell the Isten Jequn, _his father_ , that he tried to get away from his attackers, so you’re punishing him by refusing to let him attend the classes he just started? How do you really think that is going to go?”

Tight faced, Iscriel said, “I never said I would notify the Isten or suspend him. I said I _should_ , for all parties involved. Homm and Ahnnak.” 

“I really didn’t mean to hurt him.” Gabriel tried to sound contrite. He lowered his chin and looked up at Iscriel through his lashes, like Alex did when he thought he was in trouble. Apparently, it worked well on everyone.

“I’ll let you off with a warning this time,” said Iscriel. “But the next time you injure someone, I will be notifying your father.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.” Gabriel tried not to sound as smug as he felt. Barachiel discretely reached over and pinched the back of his arm, just above his elbow. That helped. Gabriel cringed a bit as he said, “I’m sorry about the trouble, sir.”

Iscriel frowned, but said, “Don’t let it happen again, young Gabriel.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Gabriel bowed briefly as Iscriel left. He tried not to slam the door behind the Terran after he was gone, but it did close with a little more force than necessary. 

Gabriel spun on his heel with a grin, facing Barach. “That was amazing!”

“You are the worst liar, Gabe. You shoved him off the edge? It was a Homm! You could have killed him,” Barach fumed.

Gabriel waved away the accusation. “It wasn’t that far. They bounce a bit.”

“No, Gabe, they don’t. Homm do not bounce. Why did you do it?”

He held up his arm, showing the scrape there. The rough flesh was nearly smooth already. “They shoved me.”

“It’s almost healed. You broke a Homm’s arm because of that?”

“Well, no…” said Gabriel, turning away from Barach. “Lorcas called me a baby.”

Barachiel crossed his arms over his bare chest. His wings spread wide behind him, taut with tension. “So someone calls you a name, and you immediately resort to violence? That sounds like something a baby would do.”

“Don’t, Barach,” the silver-haired boy warned.

“Don’t what? Call you a baby? Cause that’s what you act like. A baby. A snot-nosed, whining, temperamental little- oof!”

Gabriel collided with Barach’s midsection, taking him down to the floor of their small room. They rolled and wrestled across the stone, and despite Barach being stronger than Gabriel, the silver-haired boy was able to get several good shots in before Erem returned and stopped their fight.

“Enough! Enough!” yelled Erem. “I can hear you fighting in the hall! What is going on?”

Barach got his foot on Gabriel’s chest and shoved him back. Gabriel skidded toward the wall, but his spread wings stopped him from colliding with the stone. 

“Nothing!” Gabriel snapped. “Mind your own business.” His lip was bleeding again. His eye was puffed up where Barach’s knee had caught him, too. 

With minimal effort, Barach kick flipped from the floor to standing. He wiped the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes narrowed at Gabriel. “Don’t yell at Erem. He wasn’t the one who shoved a Homm off the ninth level.” 

Despite how hard Gabriel had hit him, Barach barely looked phased. If it wasn’t for the bruising that showed around the older Ahnnak’s ribs and the splash of blood at his mouth, Gabriel would have thought he missed his punches altogether. 

“He deserved it.” Gabriel turned to Erem and explained what happened. Erem shifted from side to side while he listened. 

“Yeah, the Homm did deserve it,” said the blue-skinned boy.

Gabriel turned toward Barach. “See?”

“Erem agrees with you on everything,” Barach said harshly.

“I do not!” Erem objected.

“Everything stupid at least,” Barach snapped back. “You’re both idiots.” He sat down on the bench at the desk, lounging as if he were perfectly relaxed. His legs stretched out before him, the thin pants around his waist tugged low. There was a tiny trail of hair from Barach’s navel past the top of his pants, which irritated Gabriel. Just another reminder of how much older and more mature Barach was than them. One more reason for everyone else to treat Gabriel like a child still.

Erem’s eyes focused intensely on Barach’s muscular torso and the bright blossom of purple spreading along his ribs. “T-That bruise,” he said, almost sounding excited. 

Sometimes, Erem got weird about injuries, like hyper-focused on them. He said it was because everyone else looked different when they bruised. There were times when his intense interest felt like more than simple curiosity, but Gabriel shrugged it off as a peculiarity of his friend. With Erem’s blue skin, his bruising did appear as dark blue spots, sometimes turning purple, but never the yellows, greens, and browns that came through everyone else’s skin. 

Barach glared at Gabriel, but he spoke to Erem. “You want to see? Gabe broke one of my ribs.”

“I did not,” Gabriel scoffed. 

Erem hurried over and knelt beside Barach, bringing his face close to the bruise. He poked at it with his fingers, and Barach hissed in sharply. The older Ahnnak never looked away from Gabriel, his eyes dark and accusing.

Gabriel hadn’t meant to break anything, and he felt bad that he’d lost his temper enough to injure his friend like that. A little blood or bruising was one thing, but bones could take a few days to mend, and usually involved a trip to the medic. 

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t think I hit you that hard.”

“You didn’t. It was a lucky shot.” Barach touched his lip, and found the smear of blood there. He looked at it on his fingers, then sucked them clean. His tongue flicked across the gash on his lip. “You’re a fiend, Gabriel, and sometimes I think they stuck me with you two just to keep you under control.”

“Didn’t work, though, did it?” murmured Erem as he slid his fingers over the bruised skin. He jabbed in sharply with his fingers and Barach jerked back, surprised. He grabbed Erem’s wrists, glaring down at him incredulously.

Going slack in Barach’s grip, Erem looked up with a weak smile. “Sorry,” he said in a little voice, cringing and looking more embarrassed than apologetic. He didn’t try to get away.

Nostrils flaring, Barach struggled to maintain his stoic control. He stared at Erem like he couldn’t figure out whether to hit the blue skinned boy or yell at him. He did neither. 

Barach flung Erem’s hands away from him and stood up. “I’m going out. I’m going down to the stables, where at least I know what to expect from the beasts. Neither of you had better attempt to kill anyone while I’m gone.” He grabbed a shirt and roughly tied it on, covering the bruise. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

“He’s in a bad mood today,” Erem huffed. Then he smiled over at Gabriel. “So, what do you want to do tonight?”

“I’m staying in.” Gabriel flopped down into the cushioned pit. “Lorcas will hunt me down tonight if I go out. Can you bring back dinner?”

Erem scrunched up his nose. “You’re not just going to stare at a book all night, are you?”

“What’s the point? I can’t keep up anyway. As long as I don’t fail the classes, they won’t kick me out.” That would have to be good enough, because Gabriel doubted he could do better.

“So… no books tonight?” asked Erem eagerly.

“None. But I still want dinner.”

“Great! I’ll bring back food for both of us!” He darted off, excited for a night of hanging out with Gabriel. It was too bad Barach had taken off in a huff. It would have been a nice chance for the three of them to relax together.

After Erem returned with a basket of food, he and Gabriel sat and played games the rest of the evening, talking and laughing like they used to. Gabriel missed when everything had been so simple.

Much later, well after dark, when both boys were barely able to keep their eyes open, Gabriel asked, “Erem? What would you do to protect your sister?”

Erem opened his eyes back up, looking across the pit to where Gabriel lay. “My little sister?”

“Yeah. Like, if someone was hurting her.”

“Ah, man, I’d probably kill them. I mean, I know that sounds bad, but she’s so little. If anyone ever hurt her, I’d lose it. And I’d tell my father, too.” Eremiel paused and yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. He closed his eyes and muttered, “He calls her his little sea sprite, because she loves being in the ocean. I think he would snap if someone hurt her.” 

Gabriel lay silently for a while, trying to find the courage to ask. Quietly, he whispered, “What if he was the one hurting her?”

A soft snore was the only response Gabriel got from his blue skinned friend. Erem’s wing twitched as he slept. Gabriel sighed and closed his eyes, falling asleep despite the heartache still troubling him.


	16. Barachiel: 7th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

It was early morning when Barach returned to the room. He already stopped by the student baths on the fourth level and washed last night’s dirt off him. Ku-Iannan, the stable master, had let him sleep in the rafters after he explained that he needed some time alone. The stable master was always very understanding about that. 

Barach changed into a clean outfit while he glared down at the pit where Erem and Gabriel slept. Gabriel lay sprawled on his back, mouth slack, wings, arms, and legs spread to take up as much space as the silver-haired boy possibly could while asleep, and Erem lay curled against his side. Erem’s head rested on Gabriel’s chest, his arm squeezed possessively around his waist, and one leg curled over Gabriel’s leg. 

They were both such idiots, but they were _his_ idiots. Nobody else was allowed to pick on them but him, and it made him angry that Gabriel was being harassed by older students. If they’d been in class together, no one would mess with them. The three of them made a good team in a brawl, and it only took once for other people to learn that.

Crouching down, Barach picked up one of the pillows that wasn’t pinned beneath one of the sleeping boys. He appraised their peacefully oblivious faces a moment, then lifted the pillow over his head and swung it down. The pillow collided with enough force to send a burst of down out through the seams. 

“Ow! Fuck!” Gabriel yelled, waking as pleasantly as he usually did. He kicked and lashed out, throwing Erem off him. 

“Damn it, Gabe, that hurt!” Erem exclaimed, rubbing his cheek. 

Barach swung the pillow again, hitting Gabriel in the face. “Wake up.”

Gabriel grabbed the pillow and tore it apart like a rabid beast. Feathers filled the air, floating slowly down around him as he glared up at Barach with furious blue eyes. He sat up, bending straight at the waist, his silver hair tangled in a knot at the back of his head.

“It’s the weekend,” Gabriel growled. 

“Yeah, no class,” Erem yawned. He crawled out of the pit and stumbled over to his bed where he collapsed face down, ready to go back to sleep. That was fine. Barach didn’t need Erem this morning, just Gabriel.

“Your brother is meeting me at the stables today. You’re coming, too.”

“No. I already told you, no beasts.”

“It’s for flying, Gabe. We’re not going to be near any of the beasts. At least, not the big ones.”

Gabriel muttered unpleasant things as he hauled himself out of the pit and got ready. Barach stepped into the hall to wait for him. 

When Gabriel emerged from the room, he was wearing an old linen flight sash around his waist over heavily patched brown leggings. His chest was bare, but if he needed, he could repin the sash to drape across his shoulder to cover himself. “I’m ready,” he grumbled.

“You need to tie your hair back,” said Barach.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, but he went back into the room and grabbed a loose ribbon. He tied it crookedly around his hair and yanked it tight. He hadn’t even bothered to get the knots out.

“Good enough now?” he said irritably.

“Yeah, you’ll fit right in with the beasts.”

The silver-haired boy sneered and followed Barach down the hall to the foyer that led into the open air between the two sides of the Academy. 

“Fiends take you, Barach, the sun isn’t even up!” Gabriel hissed. 

“Stop whining.” Barach stepped off the edge and started the casual glide down to the stables. He felt Gabriel fall in at his left, gliding in the slight air current Barach’s wings left in his wake. 

They passed the empty entrances that led into other parts of Archridge Academy, away from the constant roar of the waterfall. Once they were beyond the cliffs, everything immediately became quieter.

Farm and pasture land spread across the area at the base of the cliffs. Several Homm families worked the land, growing wheat, rice, and other foods for the Marut and Archridge Academy. One of the farms was run by the academy and housed a stables where students could learn to take care of beasts. They were taught practical knowledge, not something Barach necessarily needed, being the son of an Isten, but he enjoyed being there anyway.

The large pasture beside the stables had a few aurochs out already grazing. Their enormous heavy horns waved back and forth as they gathered grasses and chewed. Constantly chewing. It amazed Barach how often a beast that size had to eat.

They landed before the main entrance to the stables. Grunts and snorts came from within as all the beasts heard their arrival. “Feeding time,” Barach called out, encouraging their noise. 

Normally, there were other assistants, mostly Homm, in the area, but on the weekends Barach and some of the other students from the Academy came down to handle most of the chores. He and Gabriel were there early, though.

“It smells so bad here,” Gabriel complained. 

“Get that bag,” said Barach. “Each beast inside gets their trough filled up to the line. You can get the next bag after the first, if you’re not strong enough to carry them both at the same time.”

“Wait, why do I have to do it?”

“Normally, I would, but someone attacked me last night and broke one of my ribs. Now it hurts too much to lift anything.” He raised an eyebrow, watching Gabriel. “Why did you think I brought you down here?”

Gabriel bared his teeth in a snarl. “You’re the worst, Barach.” Despite his complaints, he stomped over and hefted a bag of feed over his shoulder. He almost picked up the second bag, but he was already struggling to keep the first balanced. He pulled open the end and started walking down the line, filling the troughs with the proper amounts.

A few times before, Gabriel had helped Barach out, so he knew the routine even if he was being a baby about the whole thing. Barach also knew Gabriel had experience helping in the stables at his father’s estate, so there really was no excuse for his attitude.

“If you’re not done by the time Remi brings your brother down, Alex can finish up, and you can move on to mucking out stalls.” 

Gabriel grumbled something sinister, but started moving a little faster. He was so easy to predict. 

Barach went out to the field, knowing Gabriel could handle everything within the building for a while. He hopped the gate, barely using his wings, and approached the mother auroch and her twin calves. They were cute little beasts, suckling hungrily while their mother sleepily grazed. She watched Barach approach without much interest. She was one of greater beasts, and he had to look up a little to see into her eye, though she wasn’t even fully grown yet. She snorted, slowly moving her head until she sniffed his chest and face. Globs of drool fell from her mouth as she chewed. He scratched the top of her nose. 

“Morning, Momma Cloudkicker. How those babies doing?” he asked, though he knew she couldn’t understand him. If beasts could talk, they would be fiends, and outlawed in E’din. He was glad she couldn’t talk.

One of the auroch calves pranced over to him, already playful, even though the sun wasn’t up. He rubbed her head vigorously, scratching her in all the spots he knew the aurochs had trouble reaching themselves. The other calf came over too, trying to suck on his fingers, but he hadn’t brought a treat for them today.

He stayed in the corral and played with the calves, mindful not to be too rough with them while Cloudkicker was there. They jumped and pranced around him, trying to get him to run with them. His side hurt too much to move that fast, but every once in a while, one would charge him, and he would grab it and gently throw it to the ground. 

Gabriel leaned on the fence, watching him. His hair was down again, the tail of the ribbon sticking out of his fist. At least he had untangled it. “This why you brought me down? So you could play?”

“Yes. You owe me, Gabe,” Barach answered, grabbing the male calf by his budding horns and gently toppling him to his side. The baby’s sharp hooves kicked out in the air before he rolled over, climbing back to his feet and bounding around again. 

“This is a little extreme for just one broken rib.” 

“Is it? I mean, I could just go to the medic and have it healed up by tomorrow morning, couldn’t I?” He glanced back over his shoulder at Gabriel, resettling his wings against his back. “But what do I tell her happened? What will Crispy say if there’s a notice that you attacked me after he left yesterday?”

Gabriel scowled. “Are you blackmailing me, Barach?”

“Until these bruises fade, yes, I suppose I am.” 

“I don’t have time to waste with your games.”

“Well, maybe you’ll remember that next time you attack me.” Gabriel wouldn’t. Barach was relying on that. “Until I’m healed, you’ve got to do whatever I say.” He turned back to face the aurochs. “And right now, I say, go clean the stalls.”

Gabriel hopped off the fence and went back into the stables, griping the whole way. Barach didn’t care. The manual work was good for Gabriel. It would help him get stronger, and give him an outlet to be angry without anyone getting hurt.

Barach stayed in the corral with the aurochs as the sun rose. The morning was beautiful and peaceful, despite being able to hear Gabriel swear every once in a while in the stables. 

A few minutes later, Remiel flew down with Alex in his arms. They landed in the dry dirt before the stables, and Remi placed Alex on the ground, holding his arm until he was steady. 

“Sorry. It’s too far to walk,” Remiel said apologetically. The little boy shrugged away from him, though he still looked unbalanced.

“Morning, guys,” Barach said, waving. He walked toward the edge of the corral. One of the calves followed him.

“Good morning, Barachiel,” said Remiel, all dressed in silk with lots of rings around his fingers. 

“You can’t help in that,” said Barach, motioning to Remiel’s delicate clothes.

“I have no intention of helping,” said Remiel. “I already know what my specialization will be, and it’s as far from beasts as I can get.” He wrinkled his nose, picking up on the smell. 

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

“And you already know your specialization?”

“Yes, I do. I’m going in to textiles when I’m twenty.” The older boy pushed his hand back through his thick, wavy brown hair. He looked around the property. “Are you sure it’s safe here for Alexiel?”

Barach glanced over at Alex, who was pressed against the fence, reaching through to stroke the calf’s nose. “I think it’ll be good for him. It would be good for you, too, if you stay.”

“Thanks, but no. I’m going back up.”

Alex turned, eyes wide. “You’re leaving me?”

Smiling patiently, Remiel said, “It’s Barach, you’ll be fine.”

Swirling black eyes turned toward Barach, nervous. He smiled at the child, but that did little to reassure him. “Gabe is here today, too. He’s in the stables.”

“He is?” Alex perked up a little. “Can I go?”

“Sure. If he’s not done with the chores, you can help him.” The little boy walked toward the stables, looking around like he thought something was going to jump out at any second. 

“You sure you want to do this?” asked Remiel.

Barach scratched the neck of the auroch calf. “It’s good for them. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to ALex.”

Remiel appraised him. “How can you always be so calm? Especially here, after-” His words cut off sharply and he looked away.

Smiling, Barach leaned on the fence beside Remiel. “After being ripped open by the auroch, you mean?”

Remiel nodded, but he didn’t look at him. No one liked to talk about what happened with Barachiel. They whispered it behind his back, but no one mentioned it to his face. There was something about being immortal that made near death experiences particularly traumatizing for everyone in the area.

“Do you want to know what it was like? Why I come down here?” he asked the green-eyed Ahnnak. 

“If you’re okay talking about it,” said Remiel, obviously curious, but not wanting to come off as rude. 

“I don’t mind.” He climbed the fence and hopped down beside Remiel. “I remember touching the beast’s flank, and I remember laying in the dirt at his side, but not what happened in between. The grass was wet all around me, soaked my blood. I couldn’t move at all, but I could see up, to the blue sky and the beast that stood a little ways away from me,” he said, stretching out his arm and waving his fingers at the approximate distance the bull auroch had stood from him. “My intestine was looped over the beast’s horns, still attached to the other organs within me. When he walked forward, I could feel the pull all the way up into my throat, and he dragged me on my wings across the slick grass behind him.”

Remiel’s eyes widened with horror at the story. “That’s terrible.”

“Maybe. I was in shock. I barely felt anything. I do remember the beast’s eyes, though. Wide and brown, and more scared than I was. He hadn’t meant to hurt me. I surprised him. It wasn’t his fault at all.” Barach looked up toward the Academy, which had a golden glow in the morning sun. Little white flashes could be seen darting through the air between the open arches. 

He continued. “A Terran instructor arrived first and created a bolt of lightning to stun the auroch. The beast collapsed at my side. I felt the charge rush through me, the same as him, and that hurt. The next Terran to arrive slit the auroch’s neck, and the stunned beast could only gurgle as his blood poured out of him. It flooded the grass and washed over me in a warm wave. I had his blood staining my feathers for months.”

“They killed the beast?” asked Remiel, looking kind of pale.

“Of course they did. People are afraid. Even though it wasn’t the beast’s fault I was so stupid, he’s the one who died. They couldn’t tend to me while half my innards were draped across his horns, and they couldn’t risk him attacking them next. Anything that can kill an Ahnnak is always destroyed, because everyone is afraid of dying.” Barach shook his head sadly. “After I healed and came back, I saw that fear in everyone who looked at me. I didn’t want to live like that, being afraid all the time, so I started coming down here.”

“To be close to the beasts that almost killed you.”

“To get stronger,” said Barach. “I was never afraid of them. Cautious, yes, but not afraid.”

“You’re a strange Ahnnak, Barachiel,” said the green-eyed boy. “But I guess, after an experience like that, I can understand why not much else bothers you.”

“Oh, I’m bothered all the time,” he admitted. “Mostly by my roommates. It’s just, working with the beasts, I learned to stay calm, no matter how I’m feeling inside.” He smiled at Remiel. “You don’t need to worry about Alex with me. I’ll watch out for him. We’ll be back around lunch.”

“Alright, Barachiel. As long as you’re sure you can handle him. He has these moments…” 

Barach laughed. “I think I’ll be fine. I deal with Gabe every day. How much worse can he be?”

***

After Remiel flew back to Archridge Academy, Barach left the auroch pen and sought out Alex and Gabriel in the stables. He could hear their voices from the far end and wove through the enclosures until he found them.

“He shoved you?” Gabriel asked, stopping and staring up at where Alex was perched on the top of an empty pen.

The little black-haired boy wobbled a bit, but his wings were spread behind him, aiding in his balance on the thin wood beam. “They _thought_ he shoved me. That’s why they were angry.”

Gabriel looked skeptical. “Then what did he do?”

“He grabbed me before I could fall. I guess… he saved me, sort of.”

Shaking his head, Gabriel went back to work. He shoveled large amounts of soiled hay into the wheelbarrow beside him. “I guess that’s one way to make a friend.”

Barach cleared his throat. “You know he can help you do that,” he said to Gabriel.

Alex startled and almost fell off the beam. He clung to the wood, eyes wide. Gabriel glared at Barach. “He is not shoveling shit.” He looked up at Alex, his eyes still sharp. “You stay right where I put you, understand me?”

“Yes, Brother,” the little boy said meekly, teetering again. 

Gabriel threw another clod of manure into the wheelbarrow. He was sweating, but he hadn’t tied his hair back up. The ribbon was wrapped around his bicep, completely useless.

“How much longer until you’re done?” Barach asked his friend.

“Last one in your section,” said Gabriel. “Then I need to dump the wheelbarrow and get fresh hay.”

“Well, Alex can at least help with the hay, can’t he?” There were other stalls in the stables, but most of them were assigned to other students. They would probably be down to tend to the beasts assigned to them after lunch. Morning shift fed everything, but only cleaned up certain areas. 

Gabriel glared at him. Barach could tell he wanted to say no, but there really wasn’t a good reason to, other than that he was being an overprotective big brother. “Fine,” Gabriel relented, “but only with the hay.”

“Great. We’ll wait until you’re done before we get started. What were you talking about?”

“Class yesterday,” said Alex. “I guess I made a friend.”

“That’s good! What happened?”

The little boy shrugged. His hair was braided over one of his shoulders, the black coil almost reaching his hip. “I fell, he caught me, and he got yelled at by his sister and Remiel. We have a project we’re supposed to be working on. We were going to last night, after dinner, but we got kicked out of the library.” Alex’s little grey-nailed fingers clung to the wood beam as he wobbled again. “Remiel and Sophie kept arguing. We’re going to try again tomorrow.”

“What’s the project?” Barach asked.

“I don’t know,” said Alex. “Something about the months.”

“Do you know the months?” he asked.

Alex shook his head. “I know Harvest. We’re in Justice now. Jeq- Father is always busy during Artisan.” 

“That’s it?” 

Gabriel glared at Barach as he dumped the last scoop of manure into the wheelbarrow. “I’m done. Go get the hay. Stop asking stupid questions.” He lifted the heavy cart and rolled it creaking outside.

Barach stood before Alex, looking up at him. “Can you get down on your own?” Alex scooted closer to the edge, peering down, but his wings trembled. “Try. I’ll catch you.”

Alex swallowed hard. “I can do it by myself.” He pushed himself off, but he didn’t give himself enough space for his wings to open and slow his fall. The white wings hit the wood post, throwing him off balance. 

The boy would have landed on his face, if Barach hadn’t been prepared. He caught Alex, surprised by how light he was, and helped him stand. 

Alex flinched away from him, eyes downcast, still uncomfortable with being touched. Barach patted his head. “It’s okay. I’ll show you where the hay is.”

The boy followed him back to the front, where bales of clean hay were piled for this purpose. “Grab one and bring it back. At this size, two is plenty for a stall.” Normally, Barach could carry both of them at once. He could probably do it now, but he felt Alex would get more benefit from helping Gabriel than he would.

The little boy wrapped his fingers around the twine holding the bale together and tugged. It toppled off the stack and landed at his feet. He jumped back, startled. 

“It’s just hay. It’s not going to hurt you,” said Barach. Alex took hold again, not even trying to lift it. He started dragging it backwards down the aisle, his wings beating at the air, trying to help as much as possible. The little boy didn’t make a single sound of complaint, though, a stark difference from his brother. Barach followed along to make sure he didn’t get lost. 

By the time Alex got back to the freshly cleaned stall, he was breathing hard. Gabriel jogged up, taking the bale from him. “Careful, Alex. You could get hurt.”

“I’m fine, Brother,” said the boy. “I’ll go get the next one.” He hurried back to the entrance. Barach stayed with Gabriel. Alex could probably find his way there and back on his own. He hadn’t had any trouble.

Gabriel picked up the bale and threw it down on the stall floor. He snapped the twine with his bare hands. “You could have helped him,” he accused Barach. 

“It’s good for him to struggle. It’ll make him stronger,” he said, leaning against the open door frame. “You need to stop babying him.”

“I am not babying him,” Gabriel snapped back, kicking the hay across the floor. 

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not. I’m just protecting him, keeping him from getting hurt.”

“Little kids get hurt sometimes,” said Barach. “That’s part of growing up. It’s not like it’ll be on purpose, but accidents happen.”

Gabriel kicked the hay once more then stormed over to Barach. He glared up at him with ice-blue eyes. “There are no accidents, Barach.” He shoved past him out into the aisle. “This is a waste of time. I’m taking him back up to the academy.”

“I can help him fly, Gabe. He needs to get stronger.”

Gabriel spun on his heel, his wings tense and wide behind him. “You don’t know what he needs.”

“And you do? You’re twelve. You haven’t even started growing body hair. You really think you’re mature enough to take care of him by yourself?” Barach knew his friend was sensitive about his body, as he was one of the last in their class to start maturing, but Barach needed to make a point. Gabriel couldn’t keep trying to do everything on his own.

“Fiends take you, Barach,” Gabriel hissed. “You’re such an ass. Alex is my little brother. I’m the only one who can protect him. I don’t need your help.”

“Yes, you do. You’re not good at making friends, Gabe, but you’re really good at making enemies. What are you going to do if Lorcasiel and the rest of the Hunt come after you for breaking that Homm’s arm? What if they come after Alex?”

Gabriel bristled, a flare of sparking energy rising around him. “He wouldn’t dare,” he said darkly. 

“He might. And it might be good for Alex to at least be able to fly away.” Barach walked up to Gabriel, reaching through his friend’s aura to touch his shoulder. He absorbed some of the energy, and Gabriel slowly calmed. “I’m just trying to help,” Barach said reassuringly.

“I know,” Gabriel said, exhaling heavily. Barach could feel the overflow of energy still sparking along his skin, but Gabriel was relaxing. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. After Alex brings back the other bale of hay, we’ll go out to the hill to start practicing.” He removed his hand from Gabriel’s shoulder, and most of the remaining energy dissipated. 

Gabriel shoved his hands back through his hair, gathering it in a knot at the back of his head and holding it there. “You really think they’ll attack him?”

Barach shrugged. “They might. You need to watch your temper, Gabe.”

“It’s not my fault,” he grumbled. He released his hair and it fell back around his shoulders. He looked back over his wing down the aisle. “Alex should have returned by now.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Barach said, though he knew Alex should have been able to make it back already. The hay stack wasn’t that far away. 

Gabriel took off at a light jog, alert. Barach followed after him. They reached the front of the stables without stumbling across the little boy. There was an abandoned hay bale in the middle of the aisle by the door. 

That’s when they heard the laughter.


	17. Alex: 7th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex gets in trouble with Gabriel and Barachiel.

The beast raised her head, prancing and bobbing as Alex sat across her brow, holding on to one of her horns. It curved up around him, the tip extending well over his head. Her horns were easily longer than Hadasha’s teeth, though the curve made for a comfortable place for him to sit.

Alex laughed as she jumped again, showing him how high she could go. Her heavy hooves tore at the ground, ripping up great divots of dirt. Her babies pranced and danced beside her, just as happy to show off as their mother. 

“ALEX!” came a shout from the entrance to the stables. Alex’s wings squeezed in tight against his back as he looked over. Gabriel was racing toward him on spread wings, looking panicked. Barachiel flew right behind him, and he didn’t look happy either. 

Tapping the beast’s brow, Alex whispered, “I need to get down now.” She slowed, waving her head in a rocking motion, then lowered her nose to the ground. He slid down her face, landing in the squelching mud at her feet. He started walking toward the fence.

Gabriel shot over the wooden fence and landed before Alex, his wings beating the air around him. He grabbed Alex’s arm hard enough to bruise and jerked him forward. “What were you thinking?!” he yelled.

At that moment, everything shifted into slow motion. Alex looked behind him just in time to see the auroch snort and rear up, rising high enough to block out the morning sun. Barach shouted something, darting forward. He shoved Gabriel and Alex hard, knocking them back into the grass by the edge of the fence.

The auroch charged.

She bellowed as she ran toward them, clumps of dirt flying behind her, kicked up by her hooves. Barach faced her head on, standing between them and the beast. He braced himself, and when she reached him, he grabbed her lowered horns. His feet slid back with the force of her charge. He strained against her and yelled, his voice coming from him like a roar. Barach twisted his body and threw the charging auroch to her side in the mud. The ground shook as she landed. 

Barach pressed her head down, kneeling on her neck. He glanced at Gabriel and Alex briefly and shouted, “Go!”

Gabriel grabbed Alex and flew him out of the corral immediately. They kept flying until they were on the other side of the stables. A high hill topped with a small grove of trees was fully enclosed by a fence, but there were no beasts wandering the grounds eating the grass or fruit. Gabriel landed among the trees at the top and dropped Alex rather unceremoniously on the ground.

Wincing, Alex looked up at his furious brother. He knew he was in trouble. Gabriel’s blue eyes were fierce, staring down at him in the same way Jequn did when Alex struggled or talked back. Jequn would always beat him when he had that look.

“I’m sorry,” said Alex, not moving from where Gabriel had dropped him. 

Gabriel’s jaw was clenched tightly, rage emanating from him. He breathed in sharply through his nose, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. He didn’t say anything, he just stared at Alex with eyes that made the small boy tremble.

Barach landed behind Gabriel, walking up, trying in vain to wipe the mud from his clothes and skin. He was filthy. “Everyone okay?” he asked.

“For now,” said Gabriel through clenched teeth. Alex pulled his wings in tighter, fear filling him with the implications in his brother’s tone.

“Gabe? Calm down. No one got hurt.” Barach reached out to touch Gabriel’s shoulder, but as he lifted his arm, he inhaled sharply and stopped. 

The dirty clothing at Barach’s side was wet, and it wasn’t mud. The dark stain spread across the fabric. Barach touched his side, and his fingers came away bloody.

Gabriel turned toward his friend in time to see the bright red blood on his hand. “Barach?”

“I think I need to sit down,” said the older Ahnnak. He took a couple steps and sat heavily beside a tree. 

Leaning against the bark, Barach untied his shirt, pulling the wet fabric away from his side. There was an old bruise there, half faded, but the bone jutting through his skin was new. He poked it, his hand shaking, and winced. 

“That’s not suppose to look like that,” said Barach.

Gabriel sat by his side. “That’s not good. We need a medic.” His anger had faded enough that Alex could breathe again. 

“No medics, Gabe. I just strained myself. The bone wasn’t healed yet after last night.”

“We’ll tell them the auroch did it.”

Barach reached up and flicked Gabriel in the middle of the forehead. The silver-haired boy winced and sat back on his heels. “We can’t. If they think an auroch hurt an Ahnnak, they’ll kill her. It wasn’t her fault.”

Gabriel rubbed his forehead. “Then I’ll tell them I did it. You need help.”

“Then you’ll get in trouble. No. We can’t.”

“What are we supposed to do then? Just let you bleed?” asked Gabriel, sounding upset.

Alex licked his dry lips. “You can just push the bone back in,” he said softly. He crawled across the ground toward them. “It’ll pop back in place.”

Gabriel glared at him. “This is your fault, Alex. This is what happens when you disobey me.”

“You’re both at fault,” said Barach, resting his head against the tree. “Gabe, if you hadn’t broken my rib yesterday, this wouldn’t have happened.” He his dark eyes shifted to Alex. “And if you hadn’t been in the pen with the auroch, she never would have charged.” He closed his eyes. “Now, if you know how to set the bone, do it.”

Sitting beside Barach, across from Gabriel, Alex couldn’t help but feel nervous. He felt his brother’s sharp gaze on him the entire time, but he tried to block it out as he reached over and touched the protruding bone. It had been cracked cleanly, by a sharp hit, like a fist or an elbow. There were no loose bone chips. 

Firmly, Alex pressed the bone back through the skin. It wasn’t something he’d had to do often, but he was familiar with the procedure. 

Barach sucked in air through his teeth as Alex forced the bone back in, pressing his little fingers through the torn skin to line up the two halves of bone. Barach’s blood was surprisingly warm inside his body. There was almost an audible click as Alex got the bone back in place.

Carefully, Alex pulled his hand away from the wound and wiped the blood off on the hem of his shirt. Gabriel took his place, the palm of his hand pressed tight over the hole to staunch the bleeding. 

Barach looked pale and his breathing was shallow, but he said, “Thanks, Alex… Gabe, can you cauterize it?”

The flash of heat from Gabriel’s hand startled Alex. He had never seen anyone other than the Isten Jequn use fire like that. He had heard Remiel talk about it, that it was a common thing they taught in science, but he still didn’t like seeing Gabriel do it. 

“I’m done,” said Gabriel as his friend clenched his teeth and kicked the dirt with his heel. “It’s sealed.” 

“F-Fuck that hurt,” Barach gasped. Gabriel lifted his hand. The small wound was fused together with a dark burn. No more blood leaked from his skin.

“Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m going to sit here for a while, but yes, I’ll be okay,” said Barach. He looked at Alex. “Why were you with the auroch?”

“She said it was okay,” Alex whispered.

“Who did?”

“The auroch. I asked her what her name was, and she wanted to show me.”

“Beasts can’t talk,” said Barachiel.

Alex frowned. Of course they could. He talked to them all the time. The didn’t use words, but they were as clear as Gabriel’s anger and Barach’s pain. “She wasn’t going to hurt me,” he explained. “I had her permission to go in.”

“Not going to hurt you?!” Gabriel yelled. “She almost killed all of us!”

Pouting, Alex said, “No, she almost killed you. She thought you were attacking me. She was fine before you grabbed me.”

Gabriel swiped at him, trying to grab him again. Alex tumbled back in the grass and dirt. Barach put a hand on Gabriel’s chest and stopped him from chasing Alex further. “Beasts aren’t friends, Alex,” his brother snarled. “You can’t know that she wouldn’t have trampled us all to death.”

“I can,” he insisted, backing away. “She was right there. Didn’t you see her?” 

His brother remained angry. “You’re not allowed to come down here anymore.”

Alex stopped. His wings drooped. He had really liked it in the stables. He wanted to come back again, but he knew as long as Gabriel was mad at him, he’d forbid it. “I’m sorry,” he said, trying to appease his brother. “I know she was really angry. I know she might have killed you, if Barachiel hadn’t been there to stop her.” He looked at Barach from the corner of his eye. “How did you do that?”

“What? Knock her over?” Barach shook his head. He had his hand over his side, covering most of the bruising there. “I’ve raised Cloudkicker since she was a calf. For the past four years, I’ve wrestled with her nearly every day. As she grew, she got bigger, but I got stronger, too. It’s nothing.”

“ _Cloudkicker_ ,” gasped Alex, understanding the name she had been trying to explain to him. “Because of how she jumps.”

Barach’s brow furrowed. “Yes, and also because she kicked a Terran out of the clouds when he was stupid enough to fly behind her.”

Alex nodded. “She likes the name.”

“You’re both crazy,” said Gabriel. “We’re done here. We’re going back to the academy.”

“No, I invited Alex down to learn how to fly. We’re still going to practice,” said Barach. 

“You can barely move,” said the silver-haired boy. “You’re in no shape to teach anyone.”

“I’ll be fine in an hour. In the meantime,” he looked at Alex, “why don’t you run sprints. Run down the hill to that fence, then fly back up.”

Alex looked at where Barach pointed. It wasn’t that far away, but the hill was pretty steep. “How many times?”

“Until I say to stop,” said Barach. “Consider it your punishment for going somewhere you shouldn’t and for nearly getting your brother killed.”

“Oh.” Alex slowly pushed himself to his feet. “I guess that’s fair.” It sounded better than being beaten, and it meant he didn’t have to leave yet. 

Gabriel didn’t look happy, but when Alex walked toward the hill, he didn’t say anything to stop him. Alex exhaled with relief, and began the sprints.


	18. Gabriel: 7th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

By the end of the hour, Alex was so exhausted that he couldn’t fly back up the hill. He strained and climbed up the grassy hillside, his wings feebly struggling in the air behind him. He got to the top finally and fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

“Again,” said Barach. “One more time, then you’re done.”

“I-I can’t,” cried the little boy. 

Barach stood, still clearly in pain, but the color had returned to his cheeks. He had spent most of the last hour quietly resting, his eyes closed, focused on healing a little bit faster. 

“Just once more, Alex. You’re doing so well,” he said as he approached Gabriel’s little brother.

If Gabriel hadn’t been so angry at the little boy for doing something so stupid, he might have protested against pushing Alex that hard. But as it was, he was still struggling to calm himself down. 

It had surprised Gabriel how angry he could get when Alex put himself in danger like that. He knew part of it was from the fear that Alex could have been hurt, but there was another part that was just a seething rage that Alex had disobeyed him. 

There had been a moment when he first dropped him on the hill that he had wanted to beat the little boy for his disobedience. He wanted to pin him down and spank him until he cried and promised never to do it again. Gabriel probably would have, too, if Barach hadn’t arrived injured.

Crouched down, Barach spoke encouragingly to Alex, convincing him to do the run one more time. The black haired boy got back up and went down the hill, mostly walking, though the incline didn’t make that easy. When he reached the fence, he leaned against it for a while, still breathing hard, then started his slow climb back up.

It was going to take him a while. Gabriel stood and walked over to stand beside Barach to watch. “Are you calm now?” Barach asked him.

“Not really.”

“He’s just a kid, Gabe.”

“He doesn’t see danger like we do.”

“No, but he wasn’t wrong. The auroch only started to charge when you grabbed him and started to yell.”

“What are you saying, Barach? That it’s my fault you got hurt?”

The older Ahnnak nodded. “Absolutely. And your little brother is trying to repent for both his and your mistakes, but you still aren’t willing to forgive him.” 

Gabriel frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s not enough. He needs to learn.”

“Does he?” Barach said in that tone that meant he knew more than Gabriel. “Is that how your father taught him?”

The question hit Gabriel like Barach had punched him. Jequn… What would Jequn have done? Gabriel felt sick. He would have done exactly what Gabriel had wanted to do at the top of the hill. Probably worse. 

“I’m nothing like my father,” said Gabriel, his voice strained. “Nothing.”

“Then maybe you should forgive your little brother and go help him.” 

Barach was right. Damn it. Gabriel hated when Barach was right.

Gabriel half jogged down the hill to meet Alex. He was sweating, pulling himself up by holding onto the grass. His feet kept slipping from under him. 

“C’mon Alex, you can do it! You’re almost there,” cheered Gabriel. 

Shaking his head, Alex said, “I can’t do it.” 

“Sure you can. I’ll help you.” He flew over Alex, reaching down to grab his waist. “Use your wings. You can do it.”

“I can’t,” Alex repeated, but he started moving his wings. It wasn’t much, but Gabriel held him in the air, helping him slowly fly the last stretch up the hill. 

By the time they reached the top, even Gabriel’s wings were straining from the awkward angle and the additional weight. He sat Alex on the grass then collapsed beside him. His heart was pounding.

Alex crawled over and pressed his forehead against Gabriel’s thigh. His wings trembled above him. In a tiny voice, Alex muttered, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Next time, please just beat me. I don’t want to do that again.”

Gabriel stroked his little brother’s hair, his chest tight, feeling miserable with himself. “No one is going to beat you, Alex. I just want you to be safe.” 

Turning his head, Alex lay his cheek against Gabriel’s leg. His swirling black eyes looked up at him. His cheeks were flushed from the exercise. “I’m sorry, Brother. I don’t mean to be bad.”

“You’re not bad, Alex. You did very good.” Gabriel brushed loose strands of black hair back from his brother’s face. “I’m proud of you. Just rest for a little while, okay?”

Alex nodded and closed his eyes, exhaustion taking hold of him. He fell asleep within six breaths, his wings going slack against his back. 

Barach sat down cross-legged beside Gabriel. He smirked a little bit, in that annoying way of his. “You’re cute when you’re nice to him.”

Heat rushed to Gabriel’s cheeks. “Don’t say shit like that.” He watched the way Alex slept, lips slightly parted, breathing slow and even. His little brother looked so young like that.

“You’re both cute.” Barach grinned as Gabriel glared at him. 

“Shut up,” he snapped. His friend just laughed. 

But Barach was right about one thing. Alex was cute. He was small and practically helpless, and for the past hour, Gabriel had wanted nothing more than to hit him. 

Gabriel hated himself. He hated that he would even think such a thing, because that’s what Jequn would have done. He wanted nothing to do with his abusive father. But what if- 

No, it was too terrible to even think of. Gabriel was nothing like that man.

While he struggled with his inner turmoil, he gently caressed his brother’s silky black hair. Touching him was soothing, even though Barach watched with a smug smile. 

“Don’t say anything,” Gabriel warned.

“I won’t. Don’t worry. If anyone else saw you this way, you’d lose any chance you had at being seen as tough. It’ll be our secret. And any time Alex comes down here, you’re welcome to come with me.”

“I’ll have to come down just to keep him away from the beasts,” said Gabriel, though the idea of spending his weekends like this with Alex was appealing. It was much better than studying, as long as his little brother didn’t try to get himself killed again.

“When he wakes up, we’ll head back to the academy. It’s almost time for lunch,” said Barach.

Gabriel nodded. He wasn’t in a hurry. They sat and enjoyed the peace on the hill, listening to the songbirds, the wind in the trees, and Alex’s steady breathing. For a while, everything felt just as it should.


	19. Alex: 8th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Uzzi meet up again to try to work on their class project, but Remiel and Sophie's constant bickering makes finding a place to study almost impossible.

The librarian shoved the four of them out of the library again, but this time she let them keep the book. “Don’t come back,” she said sharply, white wings spread wide behind her. 

“We don’t want to be in your stinky old library anyway,” Sophie said, sticking out her tongue.

Remiel nudged her down the hall. “Yes, we do. Sorry, Terran. Your library doesn’t smell. We’ll bring the book back when we’re done.”

The librarian pursed her lips, glaring after them as they all walked down the hall.

Alex hugged the book to his chest, walking beside Uzzi. They followed Remiel and Sophie, who were still arguing.

“Where are we going to do our project now?” asked Uzzi. “With these two following us around, we’re never going to get it done before the end of the month.”

“Is there nowhere else to study?” asked Alex, shrugging his sore wings. They still ached from his punishment in the stables yesterday, but he didn’t mind. Gabriel forgave him, and was going to allow him to go back next weekend, so it had been worth it.

“We could go up to the field, but we need to build a model. The wind will destroy anything we make.”

“So someplace inside?”

“Well… We could go to the dining hall, but it’s going to be noisy. Lots of people run through there, and they’ll probably break whatever we try to do.” Uzzi frowned. “In fact, almost all the shared student areas are going to be like that. Even my room won’t work, because my roommates are jerks. They’re constantly breaking my stuff.” 

Uzzi stopped in the hallway and Alex stopped beside him, still holding the book tight to his chest. Remiel and Sophie continued walking, too caught up in their argument to notice what the boys were doing behind them.

“What is it?” Alex asked.

“I just had the best idea. We could use your room. You don’t share with anyone.”

Alex shook his head quickly, his black hair sliding around his shoulders. It was weird enough having Remiel in there. The idea of anyone else being allowed in was terrible. “No.”

“C’mon, Alex, we don’t have any other options,” said Uzzi. He tilted his head so he could meet Alex’s gaze, even though Alex was trying to avoid looking right at him. “It’ll be perfect, and no one is going to kick us out if those two keep fighting.”

Alex struggled to think of any other option, but he couldn’t come up with one. “What if we just don’t do the project?”

Uzzi sighed, his wings shaking out behind him with a rustling of feathers. One fell out, floating to the stone floor. He reached down and picked it up, rolling the quill between his fingers. “If we don’t do the project, Fuzzi will give us his ‘I’m not mad, just disappointed’ speech. It’s really long, and I’d rather not hear it again.”

“Is that all?”

“Sure, I guess.” Uzzi looked a little sad. “I mean, we’re the dumb class. They don’t expect a lot from us.”

Alex licked his lips, looking up at the fiery boy. “You… You don’t seem dumb,” he said.

Uzzi scrunched up his nose. “Neither do you.” He scratched his neck, looking down the hall to where Remiel and Sophie were. “My sister is a healer. That makes her special, and I guess, everyone thought I was going to be special, too. But I’m not.” He looked down at his feet, which he scuffed against the stone. “It’s hard for me to sit still in class. When instructors talk, I can’t focus on their words. I thought maybe, doing this project with you, I might have a chance.”

“Why? I don’t know anything,” said Alex. “I can barely read.”

“I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to hang out with you, and I thought I would try harder if I was trying to impress you.”

“Impress me?”

Uzzi shrugged. “Sure. You’re the new kid. You’re all mysterious and quiet. Everyone is curious about you. Plus, your brother is that super smart boy who made it into the advanced classes. I mean, everyone wants to know more about you, they’re just too afraid to ask.”

“Everyone?”

Nodding, Uzzi said, “Not just in our class, either. Like, the whole Academy.”

“So… that’s why you picked me to be your partner?” That would make sense. 

“No, not really,” said Uzzi, fidgeting a little before him. “It’s because… It’s because you smell good.”

Alex blinked. “I what?”

Uzzi’s cheeks turned red. “F-Forget it. It’s stupid.” 

“You think I smell good?” asked Alex. “What am I supposed to smell like?”

“I don’t know!” Uzzi said, blushing more. “It’s just, when you sat next to me, I kept thinking maybe you were actually girl. You just smell nice, okay?!”

Alex regarded Uzzi with suspicion. “I’m not a girl.”

“I know that, okay? I know!” Uzzi’s wings fluttered behind him, the wind from them moving across Alex’s face. Stands of his black hair were caught up in the breeze, drifting around him. “I know you’re not a girl, but I still want to be your friend.”

Remiel and Sophie finally noticed that they weren’t behind them. They stood at the corner, waiting impatiently. “Come on, Uzzi! Hurry up,” Sophie shouted back.

Uzzi sighed and started walking toward them. Alex fell in step beside him. “I guess, maybe it’s okay if work on the project in my room,” said the black-haired boy. 

The little red circles of Uzzi’s eyebrows raised. “You sure?”

“Not really. But if we’re going to be friends, I guess I have to get used to having you around. Just… don’t touch me. Please.”

“Yeah, sure, fine. I won’t.” The fiery boy beamed. “Alright! Maybe we’ll actually be able to pass this project!” Alex smiled a little. Uzzi’s upbeat energy was infectious. 

When they caught up with Remiel and Sophie, Remiel asked, “Why’d you stop?”

“We figured out where we’re going to study,” said Uzzi. “We’re going to use Alex’s room.”

Remiel and Sophie exchanged a glance. She asked, “Are you okay with that, Alex?”

“Sure.”

Coughing, Remiel said, “It’s awfully private… I, um… I guess it would be a good place. F-For the boys to study, I mean.”

Sophie’s cheeks turned a little pink. “Yes, I think so, too.”

Uzzi stared up at them, his lip curled up in disgust. “You two are so weird.” 

Sophie smacked her little brother upside the head. He nearly ducked, but she was fast. “Well let’s go,” she huffed, turning and walking quickly. 

Remiel smiled at Alex. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, Remiel, I’m sure.”

Flashing his teeth in a wide smile, Remiel said, “Great.” He turned and caught up to Sophie, leading the way through the corridors and stairs up to Alex’s room in the Imperial housing.

Uzzi rubbed his head where Sophie hit him and followed behind. As they walked, Alex asked, “So… what are boys supposed to smell like?” but Uzzi wouldn’t answer. 

He just blushed and muttered, “Shut up.”


	20. Remiel: 23rd Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's almost the end of the month. Uzzi and Alex present their finished project to the class.

It was the last week of class before the six day break that marked the end of each month. It was hard for Remiel to believe Justice was almost over. The month had gone by so quickly once Alex fell into the routine of Archridge Academy. It amazed Remiel how much the small boy had grown in that time.

Alex was still painfully shy, and would startle at any loud noises, but he laughed and talked more. His wings didn’t fold so tight against his back, and he’d been making a serious attempt at keeping his feathers neat. They still had to visit Gabriel to get them properly straightened, but it was a good step in the right direction.

Remiel walked through the hall behind Uzzi and Alex as they discussed their project. They had to present it to the class today. Alex was nervous, but Uzzi’s enthusiasm seemed to make up for most of it.

Nearly every night, the little spitfire of a boy and his sister would come up to Alex’s room. They worked on the project a lot, though as the days went on, Remiel and Sophie found excuses to step out of the room more often, leaving the boys alone. 

Once, when they came back, the boys were jumping on the bed and laughing, nowhere near a book. Remiel couldn’t get mad about it, because it was so rare to see Alex smile like that.

When the boys actually worked on the project, Alex often sat and struggled to read through the book aloud. Uzzi paced the room, unable to sit still, but he would bounce over and help out with words whenever Alex got stuck. 

It was almost unbelievable to think that the black-haired child hadn’t been able to read before he came to Archridge Academy. He was almost caught up with his year now. Headmaster Iscriel gave Remiel all the credit, but if Remiel was being honest, he knew it was really Uzzi’s presence that motivated the boy.

By the time the boys started working on building their project, they’d found a comfortable symbiosis. Uzzi came up with the ideas, worked on all the big parts, but when he had to get up and move around the room, Alex took over, fine tuning everything to the necessary specifications. Alex could sit for hours, not moving, focused on tiny details. Sometimes he even kept working on it after Uzzi needed to return to his room for curfew. 

The finished project was pretty impressive, for a fourth year level. They needed Remiel’s help to move it, though. That’s why he carried it behind them, following them to class.

“I got permission to stay,” he told Terran Fuztethiel as he placed the model on the flat podium at the front of the room. 

“Wonderful, wonderful,” said the teacher. “Alright class. Everyone is here. Let’s get started. Today, Alexiel and Uzziel will be giving their presentation. Everyone pay attention, and remember, keep your respectful ears on.”

Remiel sat with Fuztethiel at the side of the room. He felt oddly proud as he watched Alex stand up there, and he wondered if that’s how parents felt about their own children. 

Alex’s hair was loose around his shoulders, but it hung perfectly straight. His wings weren’t tight against his back, and he stared out at the class without appearing as if he was about to run away. He flashed Remiel a small smile, and then looked away.

Uzzi started the presentation. “Alex and I did our project on the months and how Ter’s orbit moves through them. We made a gearbox to demonstrate it.” He pointed to the yellow ball in the middle of the project. “That’s the sun,” he said, “and that’s Ter.” He pointed to the green orb sticking out from the large yellow ball on a thick, bent wire. “There are three-hundred-and sixty degrees in a year, which is the same time it takes the planet to make a full circle around the sun. Each month is thirty degrees.” Uzzi looked over at Alex and smiled. “Your turn,” he said encouragingly. They had practiced a lot.

Alex nodded, and flipped the switch on the side of the sun. With little clicking noises, the green orb moved into the first slot. A rotating screen moved on the sun, showing the symbol for the first month. “A-Artisan,” said Alex, his voice quiet and shaking. “The first month of the year begins on the spring equinox. It is named in honor of the people who work to make food and… and stuff for us and the Isten. It is the time when the fields must be replanted.” Alex exhaled heavily and flipped the switch again. 

The green orb moved a twelfth of a way around the sun, the gears clicking within. Remiel couldn’t stop smiling. They were doing do well.

“Beasts,” Uzzi declared when the next symbol appeared on the sun. “Second month of spring, named for the beasts of Ter. It’s the time of year when there are a lot of babies.” 

Okay, so that wasn’t exactly what Uzzi was supposed to say, but he got the idea of it out. The fiery boy was starting to fidget, shifting restlessly from foot to foot. He hadn’t been able to get through a whole practice, either, so Remiel wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t that Uzzi didn’t know the stuff, it was just like he was constantly overflowing with energy.

The sun moved on to the next month. “Sun and Moon,” said Alex. “Everything exists because of the sun’s light, and the moon guides us. This month is in honor of them. Every day gets longer, ending on the longest day of light for the year.”

“Tides is the first month of summer,” said Uzzi before Alex flipped the switch. He kept talking while the gearbox caught up to him. “It’s named after the oceans and tides, in honor of the fact that we have water, and Ahn has none. Well, they have water, but it’s not in rivers or oceans anymore.” He started bouncing up onto his toes.

Alex clicked the switch again, and waited until it switched over to the symbol for the next month. “Predators is the second month of summer, named after the great beasts who hunt among the jungles and savannas.” He flicked the switch when he was done, and it moved onto the next symbol.

“Harvest!” Uzzi exclaimed, jumping forward and dancing. The class giggled. “Oh, yeah! No class! It’s the best month ever!!!” He kept dancing until Fuztethiel said his name in warning. Uzzi calmed down a little, backing up. “Um, it’s also the time when the crops are brought in or replanted.”

The gearbox moved on to the next month. Alex said, “Justice is the first month of autumn, and when criminals are punished.”

“It’s also the first month back from break, which is the _worst_ ,” added Uzzi, to the class’s amusement.

“Uzziel, please focus,” said Fuztethiel.

“Sorry,” he said, bouncing a little and grinning. Remiel could tell Uzzi liked the attention he was getting from the class, and doubted he would be able to calm down completely. “Next month is Blight, named in remembrance of the hardships the colonists from Ahn faced when they first landed on Ter.”

The gearbox clicked as Alex activated the switch again. “Soldiers. For the armies that sacrifice themselves to defend E’din. Soldiers ends on the shortest day of light.”

“Oh, did you know?” chimed Uzzi. “There are some places on Ter that don’t see any sunlight at all that day, they’re just covered in darkness, and everything is cold and frozen. It’s outside of E’din, and nothing lives there, not even the fiends.” 

Alex waited until Uzzi was done talking before flipping the switch. The black-haired boy functioned well as a counterbalance to Uzzi’s enthusiasm. They worked well together, and having Uzzi take most of the attention really looked to be helping Alex get through the presentation. Remiel has been worried the small boy would freeze up, and he was happy to see that hadn’t happened.

When the screen on the sun showed the next month, Uzzi had to stop and read it to remember where he was. “Oh yeah, Descendants. It’s the first month of winter. It’s when we celebrate the first child born on Ter and the children of the Isten. My favorite part of the Descendants Festival is all the food.” There was a murmur of agreement in the class.

Alex progressed the green orb another twelfth of a way around the sun. They were almost done. “The month of Saviors is in honor of the Isten, who teach and guide us all. They are our protectors and help clear the way, so that one day the people of Ahn and Ter can be united once more.” When Alex spoke, he looked down at the floor. He had quoted the passage in the book almost exactly, his voice monotonous. 

Uzzi grinned and said, “Also, the Isten have these really cool wings and can fly super fast, and if that doesn’t deserve a whole month, I don’t know what does.”

The class laughed. Even Fuztethiel smiled, though he covered it with a skilled cough.

The gearbox moved into the last slot. The final month appeared on the sun. “Wind, in honor of air, storms, flight, and the end of classes for the year!” exclaimed Uzzi, jumping up and down. In his excitement, his wing flailed out, smacking the project. It fell from the podium, hitting the floor with a crack. Pieces shot off in every direction. A couple of the kids screamed. Half the sun rolled down between the desks, finally coming to a stop at the back of the room. 

All eyes turned to Uzzi. “Oops,” he said, cringing. “That’s our project. The end.” He grabbed Alex’s hand and tried to run with him out the classroom door. Alex would have followed, but Fuztethiel cut them off before they made their escape. 

“Nice try. Get this cleaned up,” he said. 

Alex pulled his hand away from Uzzi. “Sorry, Terran Fuztethiel.”

“Don’t be sorry. You two did very well on your project, Ahnnak Alexiel.” He smiled at them. “You both pass, but I want the pieces all picked up.” 

“Fine,” Uzzi sighed, trudging back to pick up the pieces of the gearbox that had broken apart. They made a pile at the back of the room. 

Remiel was a little disappointed the project was broken. The boys had worked so hard on it. But as he watched the rest of the class join in to help clean up, he realized it didn’t matter. The kids talked to Alex, and he responded. He even smiled when a girl told him she liked his sun. He had worked hard on that to get the months to line up on the rotation. 

Remiel was proud of him. Everything was really improving for Alex, and Remiel couldn’t be happier for his young charge. 


	21. Gabriel: 24th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

Gabriel remained in the classroom even after the instructor dismissed the last class of the day. He was still working on the essay, but he was also avoiding going out into the hall while Lorcasiel was there. The instructor was finishing up work, too, so he hadn’t kicked him out yet. 

Lorcas didn’t scare him, but Barach was right. It wasn’t good to make enemies with people who were so much older and bigger than himself. It didn’t help that Lorcasiel was a star student, brilliant at everything he did, and the lead member on Archridge Academy’s Huntsmen team. Everyone loved that jerk.

The Huntsmen practiced every day after class, so Gabriel knew Lorcas couldn’t wait around in the halls for long. It was a stupid event, but the students competed with other teams across E’din, and had won quite a few of the prizes after Lorcasiel joined. The whole thing was a waste of time.

Lorcasiel was the academy’s golden child, and for some reason, he hated Gabriel nearly as much as Gabriel hated him. It wasn’t just because Gabriel had broken his Homm friend’s arm. It was like Gabriel was a bug whose mere existence irritated the older boy, and Lorcas took every opportunity he had to swat at him. 

Tormenting Gabriel had turned into a game among the boys of the advanced classes, even those not in the Hunt. It was annoying. He couldn’t walk anywhere without someone knocking things out of his hands or shoving him into a wall. 

Between that and the fact that Gabriel had nearly given up on studying, he wasn’t doing very well in any of his new classes. It’s not like he could do better, though. Everyone was older than him. They honestly couldn’t actually expect him to keep up.

The instructor looked up from his work at his desk. “Oh, Ahnnak Gabriel. You’re still here?”

“Yes, Instructor. Just finishing up,” he said, scrawling his name across the bottom of the page. He brought it up and presented it to the instructor. 

The Terran took in from him, briefly glancing over the work. “I understand it is difficult joining a class in the middle of the year like this, but I don’t feel like this is your best work.”

“Sorry, Instructor. Can I go?” He didn’t really care what the instructor thought of his work. Lorcasiel was probably at practice, and Gabriel had a clear shot to get back to the safety of the eighth year rooms.

The instructor frowned, leaning back in his chair. “You know, Gabriel, every month the AC classes report the student scores to the academy. That test you took last week was the qualifier.”

“So?” he asked impatiently.

“The scores are shared with the parents of the students. With your scores as they are, me and some of the other instructors have recommended you be moved back to the standard classes.”

Gabriel stared at him, hoping he had misheard. “You… you share the scores monthly?”

“Yes, Ahnnak Gabriel. As a descendant of the Isten Jequn, we all had high hopes for you, and I’ll admit, I saw your motivation to succeed at the beginning of the month, but you’ve grown lax. I don’t think you belong here.”

“W-Wait. You can’t decide that,” he said, feeling panicked. “I have to stay. I’ll try. I’ll do better. It was just-” His mind blanked. He couldn’t think of an excuse that could buy him enough time. They couldn’t kick him out. Had they seriously sent the grades to his father already? Emotion overwhelmed him, and he felt tears prick at his eyes. 

Pleading, Gabriel said, “I want to stay. It’s… It’s just been hard.” Tears dripped down his cheeks. He saw the look of sympathy on the instructor’s face, and just rolled with it. He let himself cry freely, despite the shame. “I’ve been trying so hard,” he said. “I wanted to do better, but the other boys… The other boys are so mean to me.” He sniffled, keeping his eyes lowered, though he glanced at the instructor briefly to see if he was buying it.

“You’re being bullied by other students?” the man asked.

Gabriel nodded. “I don’t know why they don’t like me. I-I tried to make friends. I wanted to study with them. I thought they could help me catch up, but they just keep shoving me around.” He held up his arm, showing off the scabbed scrape he got after lunch, grateful one of them had shoved him down the stairs on the way to class. 

“They did that to you?” The instructor’s brow furrowed. “Today?”

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel said, sniffling. “I don’t want to stop taking classes, but I’m s-scared to go out in the hallways by myself. I’m so sorry I disappointed you.” He looked up at the instructor, letting his lip quiver slightly. “Please give me another chance.”

The instructor sighed, tapping his fingers along the desktop. “You should have told me about this sooner.”

“I was scared they would hate me even more,” said Gabriel, playing up the innocent naivety. If everyone was going to see him as a little kid, he could at least use it to his advantage.

“I’ll talk to the other instructors. See if we can put a stop to this,” he said. “We’re not removing you from the advanced coursework yet, Ahnnak Gabriel, but we’re going need to see some improvement if you’re going to stay. Understand?”

“A-And my grades?” he asked hopefully.

“They’ve already been reported to your father. At the beginning of the week, in fact. Nothing we can do about that. But going forward, let’s see more effort, okay?”

_Shit_. 

“Yes, sir. I’ll try. Thank you, Instructor,” he said, bowing in order to hide the distress he felt. He gathered up his things and hurried from the classroom. 

At least he had waited long enough and none of the other boys were lingering around waiting for him. He hurried back to his room, and he was relieved when he shut the door without anyone jumping out at him. 

Gabriel half expected to see his father along the way, cane in hand, ready to correct Gabriel’s behavior in front of the whole academy. Hell, he still might show up. Gabriel knew how angry Jequn would be about the grades. He had not done well on any of those tests.

“You okay?” Erem asked as Gabriel entered. “Shove anyone else off a balcony today?”

“No,” said Gabriel. “Barach around?”

Erem rolled over on his bed. “Haven’t seen him. Think he went down to the stables again.” The blue skinned boy’s eyes narrowed. “You two have been spending an awful lot of time down there. What are you doing? It’s so boring up here without you.”

“It’s just to help Alex. It’s nothing. You’d be bored there, too,” said Gabriel, pacing the room. He rubbed at his face, still able to feel the salty tracks his tears left. 

Crying in front of an instructor had been humiliating, but it worked. He didn’t know if it would work again, though. Gabriel didn’t think he was a good enough actor to pull it off with the same instructor twice.

“We have six degrees off,” said Erem. “I hope you’re not planning to do anything boring.” He sat up. “Oh, we could all go up to Marut!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Gabriel. “I need to study.”

“That again,” said Erem dismissively. “I thought you got over that?” 

“I’m not over it, Erem,” he snapped. “I just got distracted.” He glared at him. “By you! Why are you always in here whining? Don’t you have any other friends?” He lashed out at Erem, even though he knew his friend wasn’t the one to blame.

Erem looked hurt. “I have other friends,” he said, his voice tight. “I-In fact, they want me to go to a party tonight. I told them I couldn’t go, because I wanted to spend time with you, but I can see you don’t care.” He stood up, shaking his short blond hair back from his eyes. His wings opened and closed behind him.

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t have the patience to coddle Erem’s sensitive feelings today. The boy was always so clingy. “Good. Go, then.”

“Fine. I will,” he said, but then he just stood there.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Leave!” Gabriel shouted, pointing at the door. 

Erem glared at him, but stomped toward the door. “Have a nice night by yourself!” he shouted angrily.

“Thanks I will!” Gabriel shouted back in the same tone. The door slammed shut. Gabriel threw himself down in the pit of pillows, pulling one over his head, wishing he could just suffocate himself and be done with it. Except that wouldn’t help anything. Alex would still be removed from the Academy should Gabriel fail. The image of how eager his father would be to have Alex back in his clutches made Gabriel sick.

If Alex was returned, Gabriel knew things couldn’t just go back to how they had been. They all knew too much. If Alex was returned to Jequn now, he probably wouldn’t survive to the end of the year. At least, not without being irreversibly poisoned.

Gabriel had screwed up, and he didn’t know how to fix it.


	22. Barachiel: 24th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barach finds Erem sitting alone at the top of the arch. He finally confesses his feelings, but...

Barach flew back up to the academy before the sun set. He noticed a familiar figure sitting on the arch that spanned the gap at the top of the academy and veered up to see his friend.

“Hey, Erem. What are you doing out here?” he asked, landing beside the boy.

“Gabe is in a mood,” the blue-skinned boy said. He looked more upset about it than usual. “I don’t want to go back.”

Barach sat beside Erem, close enough that they could share warmth. When the sun set around this time of year, the temperature dropped quicker. It never got that cold, but it was enough to make people shiver. It was also an excuse to hold Erem’s hand without anyone noticing. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, entwining their fingers together.

“I don’t know. Everything is all so messed up anymore. Gabe is spending more time alone with you, and I think you like him more than me.” Erem looked over, his pale yellow eyes almost golden in the twilight. “Do you?”

“We’re just friends, Erem.”

“I know we’re all just friends. But do you like him more than you like me?”

“That’s not what I mean. Gabe and I are just friends. I only like him as a friend. You… I like you more than that.” He felt nervous saying it out loud. Maybe Erem would misunderstand him again. Maybe he wouldn’t realize Barach was actually confessing. 

Erem stared at him until the sun passed the horizon. “So… you like me as _more_ than a friend… like… a boyfriend?” His voice was unreadable. Barach couldn’t tell if he was happy about it or not.

“I do,” he said, barely able to get the words out. 

“And it’s different than how you feel with Gabe?”

“Yes.”

Erem pouted. “I bet you’re only saying that because he turned you down.” 

Barach leaned in and kissed Erem softly. He raised his wing behind him to block the kiss from the cliffs, but there was no one before them in the valley who could see them up that high. 

The kiss lingered, sweet and chaste, and when Barach pulled back, Erem left his eyes closed. When they slowly opened, it felt like Erem was really seeing Barach for the first time. 

“I like you, Erem. Just you,” he said. “Even if Gabe said yes, I would still choose you. You’ll always be my favorite.”

Erem blinked a few times, then he looked back out toward the sunset. “So… am I your boyfriend now?”

“Do you want to be?”

Silently, Erem considered the question. It was nerve wracking waiting for that answer, but when he finally said, “Yes,” Barachiel was overjoyed. 

He threw his arms around Erem and hugged him tight. The boy hugged him back, but there was a little hesitation in his embrace. 

“Is something wrong?” Barach asked, worried despite his happiness.

“I… I still don’t want anyone to know. Especially not Gabe.” 

Barach leaned back a bit. Even after agreeing to be his boyfriend, Erem was still thinking of Gabriel. “Why don’t you want Gabe to know? You think he’ll hate us?”

“I don’t want to drive him away,” Erem said, looked down at the world before them.

Barach sighed. “You like him.”

“I-I do not. I like you!”

“Sure, but you like him more,” he said sadly. “Gabe is never going to feel that way about you.”

“I don’t care. He’s just… We’re just friends. I don’t want him to think we don’t care about him anymore. I don’t want him to feel forgotten.”

“Like you feel forgotten?” asked Barach. That was the real reason Erem said yes to him. Because he didn’t want to be left out, and he wanted someone to treat him like he was important. 

“Don’t be a jerk, Barach,” said Erem, turning away from him. 

Barach grabbed his arm and spun him back around, to Erem’s surprise. “But that’s what I am, isn’t it? A jerk? A bully. Is that the only way you’ll care about me, is if I force you to?” He grabbed Erem’s chin, and despite how Erem struggled, he couldn’t break Barach’s hold.

Barach was much stronger than Erem. 

“Let me go, Barach,” Erem pleaded. 

“No, Erem. You’re _my_ boyfriend. Gabe doesn’t want you. He never will.” The words were harsh and brought tears to Erem’s eyes. 

_Fuck_ , he was so cute when he cried. Barach leaned in and kissed Erem hard, pressing his tongue into the other boy’s mouth. Erem tried to struggle and pull away, he even tried to bite down, but Barach held his jaw, and he couldn’t do anything but accept Barach’s kiss. 

Raising Erem’s chin, Barach moved his kisses down, pressing his lips against Erem’s throat. He could feel the hot pulse of blood beneath Erem’s blue skin. He wanted to bite down and capture that frantic, flickering pulse. He pressed his teeth against the skin, not enough to leave a mark, but Erem still gasped. He began trembling. 

“Barach, please,” he whimpered. “Let me go.”

“No, you’re mine,” he growled against Erem’s neck. The boy started shaking more. 

Honestly, Barach didn’t know how far he would have pushed it that night. Probably too far. In a way, he was grateful for what happened next, but he never admitted it to anyone.

A cry of alarm rang out through the academy. Terran and Ahnnak swarmed the fissure, orbs of conjured firelight filling the air. 

Barach and Erem froze, peering down. Everyone was gathered around a prone form, an oddly bent body laying on the grass. Even from so far away, Barach recognized the little boy.

It was Alex, Gabriel’s little brother, and he was very badly hurt.

***

Erem and Barach dropped down the moment they understood what was wrong. Erem followed Barach in formation, despite how he kept rubbing the marks Barach’s fingers had left on his jaw. They moved swiftly through the students who were only there to watch. 

“Go get Gabe,” commanded Barach. “He needs to know.” Erem darted off in the other direction as Barach finished the descent, landing near the boy’s body. 

“H-He fell,” someone whispered. “He has wings. Why did he fall?”

“Move away,” one of the instructors yelled, trying to get a handle on the situation. “Back up!” She used her wide wings to fan the air. Her hair was completely grey, and she commanded the area with her obvious centuries of experience. “Everyone back to your rooms!”

Very few people actually listened to her, but they did back up, giving Barach more space to squeeze in. “I know him,” he said. “I’m a friend. Let me help.”

“Only a medic can help,” the woman said. “But you can stay beside him in case he wakes up.”

Barach approached Alex’s body slowly. His limbs jutted out at weird angles. Even his wings- Barach swallowed hard. He couldn’t think of it.

Holding his breath, Barach stood beside Alex and watched his chest. For a few tense seconds, he saw no movement. Then, he noticed the slightest expansion of the boy’s ribs and heard the soft sound of his exhale. Barach released his held breath slowly. Until that moment, he almost had believed Alex was dead.

A young boy struggled through the crowd, his hair the color of the conjured fire floating around them. His face was streaked with tears. “A-Alex, no!” 

A girl who matched the boy grabbed him and pulled him back before he could get too close. She held him tightly. “Oh, Alex,” she cried. “What happened?”

“He just fell,” the boy sobbed. “We were just walking, and it was like he tripped, but there was nothing there, and he fell. H-He fell, Sophie. Why didn’t he fly? He didn’t even try to use his wings.” The boy pressed his face against his sister’s shoulder. 

Barach could feel for him. Seeing this happen would have been hard to witness.

Medic Haniel landed beside Barach. “Move away, young Ahnnak,” she said. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“I’m his friend,” he explained. 

“I’ll take over from here,” she said crisply. She lowered herself beside him and placed a hand on Alex’s forehead. A soft yellow glow surrounded her and him. 

The girl with the red hair came forward. “Medic Haniel, can I help?” she asked, still holding her brother’s hand.

The medic looked up, prepared to say no, but recognition flashed in her eyes. “Zophiel. Yes. Come here. We need to stabilize him. Work on that leg.”

“Stay right here,” the girl whispered to her brother. “I’m going to help Alex. He’ll be okay.”

The boy sniffled but stood there, watching with terrified eyes. Barach moved over to him. He needed to be out of the way anyway. 

“I’m Barach. I’m one of Alex’s brother’s friends. How do you know Alex?”

“We’re in the same class,” said the boy, not looking away from the broken body on the ground. One of the limbs snapped back into place, untwisting from the awkward angle it had been in. The red-haired boy flinched. 

“What’s your name?”

“Uzzi,” he sniffled. “Just Uzzi.” 

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked gently.

“I don’t know what happened. Nothing happened. We were just walking up there,” he said, pointing up to one of the top levels. It was near Imperial housing, where Alex’s room was. “Then he tripped, l-like something caught his foot, but there was nothing there. It was just air, and then he was falling through the archway. I-I tried to go after him, but I wasn’t fast enough. He didn’t even try to fly.” The boy started crying again. Barach wrapped his arm around Uzzi’s shoulder. 

“Shh, it’s okay. They’ll take care of him. It’s not your fault. There’s nothing you could have done.” He stood there comforting the boy while they watched the medics straighten out Alex’s limbs. The sound of it was worse than the sight.

Not long after, Gabriel arrived. The silver-haired Ahnnak shoved through the crowd, yelling curses at anyone who didn’t move out of his way. He stopped as soon as he saw Alex. He fell to his knees beside the boy’s head, black hair pooled across the grass before him. His hands reached out to touch his brother. 

Without taking her focus off her task, the soft yellow light still pulsing around her, Medic Haniel said, “Do not touch him.” Her stern voice got Gabriel’s attention.

“I’m his brother,” Gabriel protested weakly. His blue eyes were filled with sorrow and fear. 

“I don’t care. I am stabilizing him until I can move him. If you try to touch him again, I will break your hand, and fix it later.” 

Gabriel sat beside his brother looking completely helpless. It hurt Barach to see his friend in that much pain, but he knew Gabriel wouldn’t let him do anything to help. 

Erem stood behind Gabriel. He met Barach’s eyes briefly, then looked away. Now wasn’t the time for them to talk, but Barach knew it needed to be done. He knew he’d gone too far, and if he had any hope of salvaging their relationship, he needed to say something soon.

When they got Alex stabilized, Medic Haniel’s yellow glow stayed around Alex’s head. She levitated him off the ground, cocooning his fragile body in a shimmering barrier of her own energy. 

“I’ll keep him asleep for now,” she said. “It’ll be easier for him that way. We’re going to the hospital in Marut.” 

Gabriel stood, staying at Alex’s side. “I’m coming, too.”

“Yes, fine, young Ahnnak, but don’t get in the way.” She looked at Zophiel. “You have done enough, young healer. Rest now.” The girl was paler than before, her freckles like dark dots against her cheeks. She nodded weakly, still sitting on the grass. She could only be a couple of years older than Barach. Maybe close to Remiel’s age. Definitely not strong enough to be able to heal that type of damage. 

Uzzi moved forward, supporting his sister and helping her stand. Barach walked over to Erem. They watched Medic Haniel fly up toward Marut with Alex, Gabriel close behind her. A couple of other instructors followed.

“We need to find out what happened,” said Barach.

“I agree,” Erem said softly. 

With the body gone, the crowd of students finally dispersed at the grey haired Terran’s command. Barach and Erem got to work searching for answers.


	23. Gabriel: 29th Degree of Justice, 593 DE

Days passed, but Gabriel did not leave the hospital in Marut. He remained at Alex’s side unless the medics forced him from the room to attempt another surgery. Even then, he stayed on the level, alert for any sounds that might tell him how his little brother was doing.

The medics kept Alex in an unconscious state so they could keep working on him. They told Gabriel it was just like he was sleeping, and that he couldn’t feel any pain. A yellow glow constantly surrounded the boy’s head. They said it was better that way.

They didn’t stop Alex’s dreams, though. The little boy’s bruised face scrunched up, and he whimpered. His fingers on his left hand twitched. 

“Shh, it’s okay, I’m here,” Gabriel whispered, stroking Alex’s forehead. The boy calmed at his touch. 

This was hard. Gabriel felt like he wanted to cry. It wasn’t fair that Alex had been hurt. It wasn’t fair that Alex had to go through this just because Gabriel had screwed up.

He knew his father had done this to the small boy in retaliation for his failing grades, he just didn’t know how. Everything Barach and Erem reported showed Alex alone on the level to Imperial Housing, except for the Terran boy Uzziel. 

Uzzi could have pushed Alex. He could have shoved him off the edge, and then cried and lied about Alex tripping, but Gabriel didn’t think he was that good of an actor. Barach said the boy was genuinely upset, and Gabriel had no reason to doubt Barach’s judgment of people. 

Remiel knocked softly on the door frame and entered the room. “Hey,” he said. “How’s he doing?”

“They worked on his right leg again. They said they got it fixed this time. They just have his right arm left, then they said they would remove the halo.”

Remiel nodded, sitting on the seat on the other side of Alex’s bed. He was still sporting the bruise around his eye from where Gabriel had punched him, but the swelling had gone down. He didn’t try to cover it. Remiel knew he deserved it. If he had been with Alex like he was supposed to, this wouldn’t have happened.

“Did they say how long until he woke up after that?”

Gabriel shook his head, his silver hair hanging loose around his face. “Maybe immediately, maybe not for hours or days.”

They sat silently for a moment, watching Alex’s slow breathing. He lay on his back on the bed, his black hair coiled in a braid on the pillow. His left wing was stretched out at his side, supports keeping his body weight from resting on the shattered limb. The medics had fixed the wing first, shearing away feathers to access the bones. It had wooden splints and metal pins across it, holding it immobile. Alex’s right wing was the only part of him to escape any serious injuries, but that was only due to the way his body hit the ground. 

Gabriel ran his thumb over the back of Alex’s hand. He rubbed the little grey nails, something he knew his brother wouldn’t have allowed without protest if he’d been awake. At least he understood now why none of the medics were concerned by Alex’s unusual condition. In his file, it said the cure the Isten Jequn had used to save Alex from the wasting disease held some of the same effects as Holloway. It was a flat out lie, but everyone believed it, because the word of an Isten wasn’t to be questioned.

The medics blindly praised the Isten’s brilliance at curing the disease in his son. Gabriel wanted to scream the truth at them, but he knew it would do no good. 

“I spoke with Headmaster Iscriel,” said Remiel. “He received word from your father.”

“Is he coming?” asked Gabriel, dreading a positive answer.

Remiel shook his head. “The Isten Jequn is relying on the expertise of the Marut medics to restore his youngest son. He’s placing his full trust in them. At least, that’s what the message said.” 

Gabriel scowled. What a lousy excuse. Granted, he was glad Jequn wasn’t going to show up. He didn’t know what he would do if he had to face his father. Either attack him, or grovel and beg forgiveness. He wasn’t sure which, but neither would end well for him. Or Alex. 

The real reason Jequn wouldn’t show up was because he was making a point. Alex was Gabriel’s responsibility now. What happened to the little boy was his fault, and the Isten would do nothing to help heal him.

“Headmaster Iscriel also had a message for you,” said Remiel, tucking his hair behind his ear. “He asked that I relay it to you since I was coming up today.”

“Couldn’t do it himself?”

Shrugging his wings, Remiel said, “He said he was busy.”

“Fine. What is it?”

“You won’t be excused from class due to your brother’s injury.” Remiel looked away when he said it, probably because he already knew how Gabriel would respond.

“ _Fuck that_. I’m not leaving here until Alex is better.” 

Nervously, Remiel said, “He said that until your grades improve, if you miss any classes, you will immediately be removed from the advanced curriculum.”

Gabriel stood, his wings spread stiffly behind him. The older Ahnnak flinched a little, like he thought Gabriel was going to hit him again. Gabriel _wanted_ to hit him again, but the problems in class weren’t Remiel’s fault. That was all Gabriel. He had no one to blame but himself, even if he wanted to.

He’d made the deal with his father, and part of him had known exactly what would happen when he failed. Even when he actively decided to stop studying because it was too hard to keep up, he had known. But knowing was a lot different than witnessing it before him, lying broken on the ground. 

“You tell Crispy I’ll be there,” said Gabriel, irate. “And then you tell him the next time he has something to say to me, he better say it to my face.”

Remiel cringed. “I don’t think I can say that to him.”

“ _Tell him_ ,” Gabriel demanded.

“Okay. Yes, okay, I’ll tell him,” Remiel relented, looking uneasy. 

Gabriel sighed and sat back down. He tried to fold his wings, but they just wouldn’t settle right. They stayed rigid behind him. “I’ll stay until tomorrow, then after that…”

“Don’t worry,” said Remiel, “he won’t be alone. I’ll stay with him.” Gabriel glared at him. Remiel held up his hands, palms out. “I swear, I won’t leave him alone again.”

“You had better not, because if you do and he gets hurt again, he won’t be the only one needing a medic.” Gabriel pressed his closed fist against his palm, his knuckles cracking. He looked Remiel dead in the eye, and he could tell by the nervous way the older boy gulped that he understood the threat implicitly.


	24. Remiel: 2nd Degree of Blight, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Gabriel attends class, Remiel waits at Alex's side, ensuring the child will not be alone when he wakes.

“Just leave it,” Remiel said, swiping Sophie’s seeking fingers away from his face. “It’s almost healed.”

“I can tell it’s not, Remi. You can’t lie to me. _I’m a healer_ ,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. 

“You’re a student. You barely know how to mend a scraped knee. I’m not going to let you practice on my face.”

“Why do you have to be so stubborn? If you just let me-” She reached for him again, the ends of her fingers glowing, like she thought she could heal him by surprise. Remiel jumped up from the chair and backed away from her. Alex’s hospital room wasn’t very big, but there was enough room that Remiel could maneuver if he had to.

“Stop it, Sophie,” he said, but the way she was coming at him with her fingers wiggling in the air made him smile. It was hard to keep a straight face around her. She either drove him mad, or made him laugh. There was very little in between. 

“It’ll feel much better when I’m done,” she said, still approaching.

“It doesn’t even hurt.” He dodged her as she sprang forward.

“Liar. I’ve seen the way you flinch when you touch it. That little silver beast hit you hard. I think he fractured your cheekbone. If you would just. Hold. Still.” She tried grabbing him, but he easily avoided each of her attempts. 

Remiel spun around Sophie’s back and grabbed her arms just below her wrists. Her wings pressed against his chest. He held her arms wide so she couldn’t reach him with her hands. Her wings tried to open, but he pressed against her body so they were pinned immobile. “Don’t call Gabriel a beast. He’s Alexiel’s brother.”

“He punched you.” She tilted her head up, her red curls spilling down her back as she regarded him over her shoulder.

“He was upset Alexiel got hurt.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I never should have left him alone.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Remi,” she repeated, insistent. “The Headmaster summoned you. What were you supposed to do, refuse?” 

“Maybe. I mean, I should have at least gotten Alexiel somewhere safe.”

She wrinkled her nose, scrunching up the patina of freckles across her skin. “It’s Archridge. There’s nowhere safer.”

With a sigh, Remiel said, “If that were true, Alexiel wouldn’t be hurt.” 

They both looked over to where the little boy lay in bed sleeping. That morning, the medics had removed the aura of energy that held him unconscious. Now they were just waiting for him to wake, though no one knew how long that might take. 

“Uzzi says he tripped and fell,” said Sophie. “It’s unfortunate, but sometimes accidents happen.”

“If I had been there, I could have caught him.”

Sophie looked back over her shoulder at him. Her arms relaxed and the glow faded from her fingertips, but Remiel didn’t release her yet. “Maybe you could have. Hell, maybe even Uzzi could have. But we can’t change the past, and you can’t think wearing around a bruise some spoiled Ahnnak gave you will help anything either. Your face is much too pretty to be that beat up.” She smiled coyly at him.

“You think I’m pretty?” he asked, grinning at her.

“The prettiest, dumbest boy I’ve ever known,” she said, her voice as sweet as honey. 

Remiel let Sophie’s arms slip from his hands. She turned so she was facing him and stood on her toes, leaning in for a kiss. Her lips were soft and lovely, and Remiel should have realized it was a trap.

Sophie’s hands pressed to either side of his face and he saw a bright flash of light, like looking into the sun. She hollered triumphantly, jumping up and down. “I got you!”

Remiel stumbled back, blinking the spots from his vision. He touched his cheek, and found that all the tenderness had vanished. He was completely healed. 

He glared at her, but she grinned wide, little dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth. She was so pleased with herself, he couldn’t be angry. She held her hands behind her back and swayed, her wings fluttering behind her with joy. 

“That wasn’t fair,” he told her.

She gave him a fake pout and stepped toward him with light footsteps. “Aw, I’m sorry. Will another kiss make it better?”

“No,” he said, “but it’s a start.”

She giggled and stepped closer, rising up for a very sweet, almost apologetic kiss. After a moment, Sophie stepped back and asked, “How was that?”

With his eyes still closed, Remiel said, “I think I need another to know for sure.”

The following kiss was not nearly as soft and gentle, but it was wonderful. Remiel found that he couldn’t remember why he’d been upset about her trying to heal him in the first place. In fact, most of his other thoughts vanished completely, too.

They parted, both of them breathing hard. Sophie looked away from him, cheeks flushed. Then she yelped, covering her mouth with her hands.

“Alexiel!” she gasped, surprised and embarrassed.

The black haired boy sat up in bed, his swirling black eyes affixed on them with an unreadable expression. The blanket had fallen down from his shoulders, and the pale lines from where the medics had to cut into his body were all still visible, like a map to his bones. Seeing him like that sent a chill down Remiel’s spine.

“Alexiel, you’re awake,” he said, leaving Sophie’s side to walk over to him. 

Alex opened his mouth to talk, but no sound came out. He stopped, swallowing hard, and rasped, “Where am I?”

Pouring a cup of water from the pitcher beside the bed, Remiel said, “You’re in a hospital in Marut. You had an accident, Alexiel. Do you remember?” He handed him the cup and sat on the chair beside the bed. 

Slowly, Alex sipped the water. He licked his lips and tried talking again. The words came easier. “I remember falling.”

“Do you remember how you fell?”

Alex stared at him, his expression strange. “Where is my brother?”

“Class. It’s almost the end of the day. He’ll be up here after.” 

Little black eyebrows furrowed. “Class?”

“The medics kept you asleep for eight days while they healed you. Classes resumed yesterday.”

Alex looked down at his body then, holding his arms out before him. He examined the pale scars along his skin. “W-What did they do?” he asked fearfully.

Sophie came forward, sitting on the other side of the bed beside Alex. “Oh honey, they had to help your body heal. You were very hurt. Part of the problem with how fast we Ahnnak and Terran heal is that sometimes, it’s too fast. They couldn’t get all your bones set before your body began to mend.”

Alex’s right wing squeezed in tight against his back. The splints on the other one creaked, but it remained stretched behind him. The little boy turned to look at it slowly, like he thought something monstrous was lurking behind him. His face went pale. 

“Get it off,” he said. 

“Alexiel-”

“GET IT OFF!” he yelled, startling both Remiel and Sophie. They jumped up, backing away from him as a low buzz surrounded the child. Remiel had felt energy like that before, back when Alex had just arrived at the academy. Back when he turned Gabriel’s shirt to grey ash.

“Sophie-” Remiel reached out, trying to stop the girl as she approached the bed again. She ignored him, unaware of the danger.

“Alexiel, it’s okay,” she said. Her hand reached for him. He looked up at her with wild eyes, his black irises reflecting the light of the room in swirling patterns. She touched his hand, the soft yellow glow spreading from her fingertips to his skin. She entwined her fingers with his, and whispered, “Just breathe, Alex.”

Miraculously, the energy surrounding Alex abated. Sophie didn’t look away from him, and she didn’t release his hand. He didn’t struggle. He just stared at her, watching her as if he was in a trance. 

Very calmly, Sophie said, “Please go get the medics.” 

It took a second for Remiel to realize she was talking to him. Though it didn’t feel right to leave her alone in the room like that, be backed up toward the door. “I’ll be right back,” he said, then darted out. 

“Alexiel woke up. Something is wrong,” he said to the first hospital staff he found. The Terran man shot toward the room, giving a high pitched set of whistles that resounded off the pristine white walls. 

In seconds, several more medics were running to the room. Remiel tried to follow them, but one of them stopped him outside the door. “Wait here,” she instructed. “You’ll only get in the way.” They closed the door.

Hovering nervously in the hall, Remiel waited. Sophie was still in there with them. Why hadn’t they sent her out yet?

Half an hour later, when Gabriel arrived, Remiel was still waiting. He spotted Remiel’s anxious expression, and sprinted forward. “What happened?!” he demanded, looking at the closed door.

“He woke up. He panicked. The medics-” 

Gabriel didn’t stay to listen. He ran to the door and tried to open it. When he couldn’t, he pounded on the frame. “Let me in!” He hit the door again. It started to splinter under his assault.

A young winged man opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him. He had warm brown skin and long blond hair braided in two tight plaits. “Ahnnak Gabriel, you cannot do anything to help right now. We are handling this.”

“What happened?” Gabriel demanded. “Is he alright?”

“He will be fine, but we are removing the pins from his wing. Give us time.”

“Let me in. I want to see him.”

“No,” said the man.

Remiel saw that flash of anger in Gabriel, the same look he’d seen right before he’d been punched, and he feared for the medic. 

Gabriel reached out like he was going to shove the medic out of his way, but the man grabbed his extended wrist. One second, Gabriel was standing there threatening him, the next he was pressed against a wall with a wing trapped beneath an arm twisted behind his back. The medic pinned Gabriel’s wrist high against his spine, the angle clearly painful. He leaned in, his lips close to Gabriel’s ear, moving in a hushed murmur Remiel couldn’t understand.

Wincing, Gabriel nodded and said, “Okay. Yes.” 

The medic held him there a moment longer, then release him and walked back into the room. The door swung shut behind him. 

Rubbing his shoulder, Gabriel walked back over to stand beside Remiel. “He could have just said no,” the boy complained. “He didn’t have to attack me.” 

Remiel huffed. “Coming from you, that’s funny. What did he say to you?”

The boy glared at him, a little pink in his cheeks. “None of your business, that’s what. He’s a fiend-taken Ahnnak.”

“He is?” asked Remiel, trying to place the lineage. He couldn’t remember any Isten who resembled that man, so he guessed he was at least second or third generation. Ahnnak healers weren’t very common, though, so if he looked it up, he could probably find out who he was descended from.

“He almost ripped my whole arm off,” Gabriel grumbled. He watched the door, but didn’t approach it again.

There was a little bit of satisfaction at seeing someone stand up to Gabriel and come out on top. Remiel didn’t think he could voice his sympathy for the boy’s pain without a little of that feeling coming through, so he said nothing as they waited together for permission to enter Alex’s room.


	25. Gabriel: 2nd Degree of Blight, 593 DE

After another half hour, the door opened again. A woman poked her head out. “We’re done. You can come in and see him. He’s sedated for now, but still awake.”

Gabriel swiftly entered, dodging around the medics as they collected their things and left. The Ahnnak who had attacked him was beside Alex, speaking calmly to the boy as he touched his forehead. His other hand stroked over the top edge of Alex’s extended wing, a soft yellow glow surrounding his hand. Alex lay docile, looking up at him and blinking slowly. 

_He’s awake._

Gabriel stopped at the edge of the bed, his throat tight and his knees weak. Until he’d seen those black eyes, he hadn’t actually believed Alex was awake. Part of him had not believed he would ever wake up again.

“There, all done,” said the Ahnnak medic in a soothing voice. He took his hand from Alex’s wing and his fingers away from the boy’s forehead. “You’ll behave now, yes? Don’t go thrashing about.”

“Yes,” that tiny voice replied.

The medic smiled. “Good boy.” He patted Alex’s head and left the room. As he passed Gabriel, he raised a pale eyebrow at him, and Gabriel quickly lowered his gaze until he was gone. 

The brush of that Ahnnak’s lips against his ear and the words he whispered still made Gabriel’s blood run cold. _I am here as a favor between the Isten of my lineage and yours. If you dare try to touch me again, I will peel the skin from your body and turn you inside out. Do you understand me?_

Gabriel shivered, pushing the words out of his mind. He really hoped he never had to see that Ahnnak again.

Only one other medic remained in the room, and she was in the corner, talking to Remiel while he cradled the red-haired girl in his arms. The girl looked like she was sleeping, completely relaxed. Gabriel didn’t understand why she was there at all.

Taking his usual seat at Alex’s bedside, Gabriel touched his little brother’s hand. “Hey, little brother. How are you feeling?” he asked softly.

Alex looked at him, tilting his head and blinking. “Brother? Why are you sad?”

“I’m not sad,” Gabriel replied. Another tear dripped down his cheek. “I’m happy. You’re awake.”

“You’re not supposed to cry when you’re happy,” said the black-haired boy. He reached up and touched Gabriel’s cheek with a grey nail.

“I’m not crying,” Gabriel said, taking Alex’s hand and pressing his palm against his damp cheek. His brother’s skin was cool against his face. More tears fell, landing on the young boy’s skin.

When Gabriel let go of Alex’s hand, it still stayed against his cheek. Alex gently swiped Gabriel’s tears away from his eyes. “I don’t like it when you cry, Brother,” the little boy whispered.

“I’m not crying,” Gabriel insisted. “It’s dust. In the room. I don’t like it here.”

“I don’t like it here either,” said Alex, lowering his hand. “I want to go back to my room.”

Gabriel rubbed at his face with the edge of his tunic. The fabric absorbed the rest of his tears, though his face still felt hot. “You can’t go back yet,” he said.

“Why not?”

“You were hurt.”

“I feel better.”

“You were hurt really bad, Alex. Do you remember what happened?”

Alex’s mouth pressed into a thin line while he thought and his thin black eyebrows scrunched. “I remember falling.”

“Before that? Do you remember why you fell?”

After thinking a moment, Alex said, “I was walking with Uzzi. Then…”

“Did Uzzi push you?”

Alex shook his head quickly. “No. Uzzi didn’t touch me. He knows I don’t like being touched.”

“Then how did you fall?”

“There was nothing there. We were just walking, and then it felt like someone grabbed my ankle.” He closed his black eyes tightly. “I couldn’t stop myself. It was like when… when F-Father would electrocute me. I couldn’t move.” He opened his eyes again, looking at Gabriel. “I know how to fly now. I can do it. If I could have moved, I wouldn’t have fallen. I’ve been practicing with you and Barachiel. Instructor Dardiel says I’m getting stronger. I can fly.” His voice increased in volume as he spoke, like he desperately needed Gabriel to believe him.

Gabriel couldn’t stop himself from looking at Alex’s injured wing with all its missing feathers. The wing had taken the brunt force of Alex’s fall, and the hollow bones had shattered. Even if the medics had reconstructed the wing and sped his healing, it would take time for him to mend fully and regrow his feathers. For a while, Alex wouldn’t be flying at all.

“I know you can fly,” he said. “You’ve been working so hard. I know you could have flown. It’s not your fault.” _It’s mine_. “Someone did this to you on purpose.”

“Who?” the little boy asked.

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out,” said Gabriel with certainty. He knew who ordered the assault on Alex, but he didn’t know how it had occurred within Archridge. Jequn wouldn’t show up to do something like that himself, not without stopping by and inflicting more damage on Gabriel. It was too subtle of an action for the Isten. 

Someone was working for him. There was a spy in Archridge Academy, and Gabriel had to find out who.

A hand through stone and a paralyzing shock were not skills a child Uzzi’s age could produce. Gabriel didn’t even think he could do something like that. Whoever caused Alex to fall was powerful, and Gabriel knew, without a doubt, that it had not been an accident.

There were no accidents. 

Remiel came over to the bed after the last medic left. “I’m taking Sophie back,” he explained. “She exhausted herself.”

“Fine,” said Gabriel, glaring at him. He didn’t care about the girl or understand why she was there at all. “Did they say when Alex would be released?”

“Tomorrow, during the day.”

When Gabriel had to be in class. “I’ll stay with him tonight. Be here in the morning before I have to leave.”

“Yes, Gabriel, don’t worry. I’ll be back in time to help him return to the academy.”

“You’re not going to stay with me?” Alex asked quietly, looking at Gabriel.

“I can’t miss my classes.” 

“It’s okay, Alexiel, I’ll be with you.” Remiel smiled at him. He adjusted Sophie in his arms. Her wings hung limp beneath her. “I’ll be back in the morning.”

Alex pouted silently. Remiel told them goodnight and left the hospital room. When they were completely alone, Gabriel said, “I don’t trust him. Why was that girl in here?”

“She’s Uzzi’s sister.” Once Alex mentioned it, the resemblance was obvious. “She’s also a healer, and… I think she helped me calm down.”

“What?”

“When I s-saw my wing like that… It reminded me of being home. I think I might have panicked. I don’t remember clearly.” He licked his lips. “Then she held my hand and everything felt quieter.” 

“I still don’t trust them, Alex. You need to be careful.” 

The little boy nodded. His eyelids drooped heavily. “I’ll try, Brother.” He looked sleepy. After all he’d been through, it wasn’t surprising that he was tired. 

“Rest a bit, Alex. I’m not going to leave you tonight.”

“Promise?” he asked, closing his eyes.

“I promise,” said Gabriel, and Alex drifted off to sleep.


	26. Alex: 3rd Degree of Blight, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex returns to his room at Archridge Academy and has visitors.

Alex was grateful to be back in his room, he just wished Remiel hadn’t insisted on carrying him the whole way from Marut. The city had been huge and busy, but once they reached the hallways of Archridge, Alex could have walked. Remiel refused, though. 

“There,” said the tutor, placing Alex on the bed and propping a pillow behind him. “Better?”

“Yes, Remiel.” He settled back, leaning gingerly on his injured wing. He curled it around his shoulder so most of it lay across the front of him. A lot of his feathers were missing and the revealed skin was new and tender. It was very disappointing. He wouldn’t be able to fly until all the feathers had grown back.

“Are you okay? You want something to eat?”

“I’m not hungry,” he said, poking at the edge of one feather that had been sheared in half. It would have to come out completely before a whole one grew in. He grabbed it between his thumb and forefinger and ripped it out. 

Remiel winced, holding out his hands. “Don’t do that, Alexiel. Give your body a chance to heal.”

“I can’t fly on cut feathers.”

“You can’t fly at all right now. You need to rest.”

“I’ve been resting for nine days. I’m tired of being in bed.” He pouted a bit as he looked up at Remiel. 

His tutor put his hands on his hips stubbornly. “You’re not leaving this room. You can eat, you can walk around, and you can shower, but the rest of the time, I expect you to be in that bed resting.”

Alex huffed unhappily. “I don’t even get to go to class?”

“We’ll see how you’re doing tomorrow. You need to get your strength back up. If you don’t eat, you’re going to be stuck in this room for a while.”

“Fine. I’ll eat something,” sighed Alex. 

Remiel gave him a small basket of fruit. He sat down on the large trunk against wall. After Alex started eating, he said, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you when you fell, Alexiel. I shouldn’t have left you alone after dinner. That scribe who dropped off the note from Headmaster Iscriel made it sound like it was urgent, but when I got to the office, the Headmaster almost acted surprised to see me. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“I wasn’t alone,” said Alex around the mouthful of fruit he slowly chewed. “Uzzi was with me.” Up until he fell, he had felt fairly comfortable walking through the big stone halls of Archridge Academy with the fiery boy. Something about having the him near had made the rock around them feel warmer.

“It’s not his responsibility to watch you,” said Remiel. “It’s mine. For as long as I’m assigned to you, I’ve got to protect you.”

Alex swallowed his food. He watched Remiel as he quietly asked, “And after?”

“After what?”

“A-After you’re not assigned to me. Will you still… Will you still spend time with me?”

“Of course, Alexiel,” said Remiel compassionately. “I’m your friend.”

“You are?”

“I am. I enjoy spending time with you. Getting to hang out with you, Uzzi, and Sophie has been the most fun I’ve had in years.”

“Even if you argue with her all the time?”

“Not _all_ the time,” Remiel defended.

“Even if she kisses you?”

Remiel regarded him coolly. “You saw that, huh? I almost hoped you’d forgotten.”

“Do you… want to kiss her?” he asked.

Remiel smiled crookedly. “I like kissing her, Alexiel.”

“Does she like kissing you, too?”

With a laugh, Remiel said, “I sure hope so. I think she enjoys it. She usually seems pretty happy while we’re doing it.”

“Oh,” Alex said, looking down and picking at his wing more. He found three more cut feathers he wanted to rip out, but he would wait until Remiel wasn’t watching him to do it. 

“You’ll understand when you’re older,” Remiel said sagely. “I remember thinking kissing was gross when I was your age, too, but one day, you’ll meet someone, and you won’t feel that way anymore. When you have your first kiss, you’ll understand.”

Alex doubted it, but he didn’t say anything. He had been kissed before, and he did not enjoy the thought of ever having to do it again. 

He resumed eating. Remiel stayed and told him stories for the rest of the afternoon.

***

Stepping out of the bathing room, Alex was greeted with an enthusiastic, “ALEX!” followed by a red-haired boy hugging him.

“Uzzi! Gentle!” Remiel shouted.

Alex winced in pain and touched his friend’s chest. “Stop it. Get off me.”

Uzzi released him reluctantly. He had tears and snot dripping down his face. “I thought you were dead,” he wailed.

“I’m not dead,” Alex told his friend, annoyed. “You can’t run about hugging people just because they’re not dead.”

Nodding, Uzzi said, “Sorry, I know.” He tugged the sash hanging over his shoulder up to wipe his face and blow his nose. “I was just so happy.”

Alex held his closed fist out to Uzzi, the only contact he had agreed on with the boy. Uzzi bumped their knuckles together and grinned, sniffling again. 

Uzzi had been serious about them being friends. He wouldn’t leave Alex alone, even when they weren’t working on their project. After a few uncomfortable situations, Alex had been forced to set some boundaries. To his surprise, Uzzi agreed to whatever rules he came up with. No touching had been the biggest one, because otherwise, the fiery boy was always finding a reason to casually touch him. Even still, Uzzi forgot sometimes, but was always quick to apologize.

“They wouldn’t let me visit you in the hospital,” Uzzi said. “Sophie got to go, but she wouldn’t let me come.”

“I’m glad you didn’t come,” said Alex. “It was terrible there.”

Uzzi looked down. “A lot of the kids in class think I pushed you.”

Alex frowned. “You didn’t push me, Uzzi. You didn’t even touch me.”

“I tried chasing after you,” he said, his gaze still lowered. “I wasn’t fast enough.”

The way Alex had plummeted, that wasn’t surprising. Uzzi probably didn’t even realize what had happened until Alex was halfway to the ground. There was no way he could have caught him, and if he did, whatever energy had paralyzed Alex could have transfered to the other boy. Then they both could have been injured.

“It’s not your fault, Uzzi. I’m not mad at you. I’m fine, see?” He spread his wings and showed off his arms. 

“What’s that?” Uzzi asked, touching the white scar on Alex’s forearm. He pulled his hand back. “Sorry.” He pointed again, but kept a little distance between them. 

“They had to keep cutting me open to fix the bones,” he said. He showed off the other lines that weren’t covered by clothing. He got to the one on his leg, lifting his foot up onto the bed so Uzzi could see it easier. “They said my leg was so shattered, they thought about just cutting the whole thing off and making me regrow it.”

Uzzi’s eyes widened. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

“No. The lines will fade in a few days,” said Alex, pulling himself up onto the bed. He used his wings to give him a little bit of a boost, but pain lanced through his right wing. 

“Alexiel, don’t use your wings,” said Remiel, looking up from the scroll he was reading. He had parchment beside him that he was scratching notes on. Even if he missed classes to be with Alex, he still had to make up the work. 

“I know,” Alex replied. “I just forgot.” He climbed the bed without his wings. Uzzi climbed up beside him.

It amazed Alex how quickly he had adjusted to using his wings for everyday activities. Back at the manor, he rarely thought to use his wings for anything at all. But here, at the academy, even flying felt natural. 

Well, it had. With his sheared feathers and weakened, shattered bones, he was grounded once more. It was unfortunate. He had really liked flying.

“When do you come back to class?” Uzzi asked. 

Alex sighed. “I don’t know.” He looked over his shoulder at his tutor, who had gone back to reading and scratching out notes. “Remiel seems to think I’ll break again if I go anywhere.”

Uzzi started bouncing his foot. “Aw, man, that sucks. I would go crazy if I had to stay in one room the whole day.” 

“It’s not negotiable,” Remiel declared, not looking up from his scroll.

“I know,” said Alex, sighing.

Uzzi leaned back on the bed, spreading his wings out across the mattress behind him. He waggled the red circles he had for eyebrows. He mouthed, _We could sneak out._ He grinned wide.

“Absolutely not,” said Gabriel from the door. 

Alex and Uzzi both startled, looking over at the silver-haired boy. His mouth was set in a grim line and his cold blue eyes were affixed on Uzzi. 

Alex gulped. “B-Brother.”

Uzzi wiggled down off the bed, sliding to his feet. “Hi, Ahnnak Gabriel,” he said respectfully. “I, um, was just visiting Alex. I’m glad he’s better.”

“So glad, that you thought you would drag him out to get hurt again?” He looked over at Remiel. “Are you even paying attention? Why is this kid here?”

“He’s here because he’s Alexiel’s friend and he was worried about him,” said Remiel, writing answers on his parchment. “No one is sneaking out anywhere. I’m studying, not oblivious.” His inked quill scratched over the parchment more. “Sophie is bringing up dinner. We’re going to stay in and relax with Alexiel tonight. You’re welcome to join us.”

Gabriel’s ice-blue eyes turned back to Uzzi. “No thanks.” He walked forward, and Uzzi scampered out of his way. Gabriel sat beside Alex. “I just came to check on you and see that you made it back okay.”

“I’m fine, Brother,” Alex replied. “I don’t hurt at all.” 

“Let me see your wing.” 

Alex shifted on the bed so he was sitting at an angle to his brother. He stretched out his wing and felt his brother’s fingers lightly brush over the feathers. Gabriel gently touched the tender skin, and though it did not hurt, it made Alex shiver. 

“It’ll take about a month for all these feathers to grow back,” Gabriel told him. He picked out a couple loose quill shafts, but he was so quick about it that Alex barely noticed. “You’ll need approval from Medic Haniel and Instructor Dardiel before you can start flying again.”

“Does that mean I can’t go with you and Barachiel to the stables on the weekends?” he asked gloomily.

“Yes, but I can’t go either,” said Gabriel. “I’ve got to catch up in my classes, and I need to use that time to study.” 

“Oh. Okay, Brother.” Alex had liked the days they would spend at the stables together, even if the two older boys picked on him sometimes. He was sad he wouldn’t be going back with them.

Gabriel ran his hand down Alex’s wing, smoothing the feathers and making him shiver again. He leaned forward and bumped his forehead against the back of Alex’s head. “I’m sorry, Alex. I’ve got to go.” He stood up, smiling sadly at him. “Sorry,” he said, but he didn’t sound like he was apologizing about leaving. 

After Gabriel left, Uzzi crawled back onto the bed. “Your brother scares me.”

“Me, too,” said Alex, “but I don’t like seeing him so sad.” 

Uzzi lay on the bed behind Alex, and he was staring up at his wings like he wanted to touch them. Alex turned to face him, guarded. 

“You may not,” he said firmly before the question was even out of the fiery boy’s mouth.

“I wouldn’t hurt you,” said Uzzi, looking guilty. “You let him do it.”

“He’s my brother.” 

“So? I’m your friend. If you let me touch yours, I’ll let you touch mine.”

Remiel stood up suddenly, his scroll clattering to the floor. “No. Absolutely not. Nobody is touching anybody else’s wings tonight- no, _ever_.”

“Why?” Uzzi asked, looking at him upside down. 

“Because it’s something very special, shared only with someone you love and trust,” Remiel explained, though he blushed a little with the words. 

“That’s stupid,” grunted Uzzi. “I touch my wings all the time. There’s nothing special about that.” He shook his wings as if to accentuate the point. One of his feathers came loose, floating down to the floor.

Remiel picked it up. “You’ll understand when you’re older.” He pointed the feather at Uzzi, then Alex. “But until then, no touching. And you both need to get better at preening.”

“Ugh, you sound like my mom,” Uzzi groaned. He rolled over, but misjudged how close he was to the edge of the bed. He fell off with a yelp.

Alex peered down at him. “You okay?” he asked.

Uzzi grinned up, laying flat on his back. “What? It’s nicer on the floor.”

Alex smiled and climbed down with him, all thoughts of touching wings forgotten. Remiel sighed with relief and resumed studying.


	27. Barachiel: 9th Degree of Blight, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nearly a week has passed since Alex returned to Archridge. Barach contemplates what he discovered during his investigation of the accident, though his mind keeps returning to an unrelated concern - _Erem_.

Barach still didn’t know what caused Alex to trip, but life at Archridge Academy soon settled back into a regular routine. Once Alex resumed classes, much of the buzz about the young Ahnnak’s unfortunate accident died down. Gabriel still insisted it wasn’t an accident, but they had no evidence otherwise.

The two young boys had been alone near the edge, one fell. That was all. Unless Uzziel was an expert liar, as well as being scatterbrained and hyperactive, there was really no chance he’d hurt his friend.

In fact, when Barach had talked to the boy alone, he noticed that Uzzi might have a slight crush on Alex. He was probably still young enough to not understand what he was feeling, but Barach had been there once. He recognized the signs.

Of course, when he reported back to Gabriel, he withheld that piece of information from his silver-haired friend. Barach didn’t think someone having a crush on Alex was something Gabriel would handle gracefully. He was far too overprotective of his little brother, and bringing it up with the young boys now would probably ruin their friendship.

Thinking of ruined friendships, Barach sighed. 

_Erem_.

Things with his almost-boyfriend were difficult. They had delayed talking about what happened on the stone arch in order to be there for Gabriel after his brother’s injury. Now that everything was back to normal, Barach couldn’t find the right time to bring it up.

Worse yet, Eremiel acted like nothing happened. He laughed and smiled with Barach and Gabriel, but any time Barach tried to get him alone, he suddenly had somewhere else to be or something to do. It was frustrating, but Barach didn’t want to push him. He felt bad enough as it was.

Barach let the water from the shared showers stream down his face. It was late, and he was the only one there. The second week of classes for Blight began tomorrow. Everyone else was probably in bed, but he had spent the day at the stables, hoping the hard work would help him clear his head.

It didn’t. His muscles ached, and he smelled like the beasts, but he wasn’t any closer to figuring out what to do with Erem. 

Steam filled the shower room, the water running as hot as Barachiel could stand it. Sound in the usually busy room echoed strangely while it was empty. He grabbed a bar of soap and scrubbed at his skin until he was covered in the lather. With his wings oiled, the steam didn’t bother them, so long as he didn’t put them directly beneath the spray.

“Need help?” 

Startled, Barach dropped the soap. It skidded away from him, coming to a stop before Erem’s bare feet. 

In the steam and dim light of the showers, Erem’s blue skin had a greyish-purple tone. His sand colored hair was slicked back, darker when wet. His pale yellow eyes looked brighter, almost like they glowed from within. He moved forward like a specter in the steam, and the sight of him left Barach breathless.

“Erem, what are you doing here?”

“I’ve been looking for you. This late, I figured you were either here or in the valley.” 

Steam curled around Erem. It revealed and obscured his body in tantalizing little peeks. He was definitely naked. Barach tried not to think it, but watching Erem move closer was really arousing. His body responded immediately, and Barach had to keep his back turned to his friend, only looking back over his shoulder. He stuck his arms in the water, scrubbing away the bubbles that clung to his skin.

“Why were you looking for me?” he asked, trying to keep it casual.

“I want to talk.”

“About?” His chest felt tight. He couldn’t look at Erem.

“About being your boyfriend. About what you want from me.”

He was absolutely not prepared to talk about this right now. “I-I was just joking,” he said lamely.

A hand touched the small of Barach’s back. He looked back. Erem stood right behind him, just a little taller than his shoulder. He looked up at Barach and said, “I know it wasn’t a joke.”

Sighing, Barach turned so he faced Erem. The blue hand slid as he turned, following the motion to rest on Barach’s hip. Erem glanced down, and his eyebrows lifted at what he saw, but he didn’t mention it. He looked back into Barach’s eyes. 

“I like being with you, Barach. I like touching you, and I like being touched by you. I like when we’re hanging out and you let me pretend to be cold so I can curl up under your arm while you wrap your wing around me. I like when you hold my hand when you think no one is watching. I even like it when you bully me.”

Swallowing hard, Barach said, “But?”

Erem smiled a little. “But I like Gabe, too. I like him a lot. I’ve liked him since he broke a kid’s nose in first year for making fun of my skin.”

“I know,” Barach said, but Erem’s hand was still on his hip. His fingers pressed against his skin firmly. There was more the blue-skinned boy wanted to say.

“Gabe doesn’t like me like you do, but he doesn’t like anyone else either. One day, he might change his mind. When he does…”

“When he does, you want to be with him instead,” said Barach, painfully finishing Erem’s sentence.

Erem ran his tongue over his blue lips. “Actually, is it selfish if I say I want to have you both?”

“Both?” asked Barach, confused. 

“Both. I want to be with you, Barach, but I want him, too. If he ever changes his mind, I want to keep you both. Until then, I’m happy with just you. That’s selfish, isn’t it?”

“It’s very selfish,” said Barach, but he smiled, feeling relieved. If he had to share Erem, he could do it, as long as it was Gabriel.

Eyes sparkling, Erem stepped closer to Barach. He traced little circles on Barach’s hip. “I was angry at you for kissing me like that on the stone. It hurt.”

“I’m sorry, Erem. I don’t know why I did that.”

Erem’s hand moved from Barach’s hip, up his side, and over to his chest. “It hurt, Barach, but I can’t stop thinking about it. I kind of liked it,” he said, then he pressed his fingers into Barach’s skin and dragged his nails down his chest and belly. 

Barach hissed in pain, grabbing Erem’s wrist and holding it tight. Erem’s eyes focused on the red furrows he left on Barach’s skin. His breath came in heavy pants through parted lips. His purple cock jutted from his body, engorged. 

“That hurt,” Barach scolded his boyfriend. Erem looked up at him with apologetic and eager eyes. 

“Do it again, Barach,” Erem murmured. His free hand found Barach’s erection, and he squeezed and stroked him, sliding easily over the wet skin. 

Barach grabbed Erem’s waist and yanked him closer. He released his wrist so he could push his fingers through Erem’s hair and tilt his head back. Erem closed his eyes and moaned, his grip on Barachiel’s erection going slack for a moment before he resumed more fervently. 

As Barach pressed his mouth against Erem’s neck, the blue-skinned boy began stroking himself with his other hand. Barach licked and sucked, and when he nipped at Erem’s throat, the stroking grew more erratic. 

It was wonderful, seeing the way Erem responded as he left purple hickeys across his skin. Barach didn’t release his hair, tilting his head as needed until he had marred most of Erem’s neck and shoulders with his mouth. 

He recognized when Erem was about to come. He released Erem’s hair to wrap his hand around his throat. He kissed Erem as he held his neck, applying enough pressure that he could feel Erem’s frantic pulse beating at his skin.

Erem erupted with a gush of hot fluid across Barach’s belly and a muffled cry into Barach’s mouth. His knees went weak, and Barach found himself supporting all of Erem’s weight. He broke off the kiss to look down at Erem’s heavily lidded eyes and flushed cheeks. For a moment, the boy looked dazed, then he blinked and looked up at Barach. 

“That was amazing.”

“Was it?” Barach asked huskily, looking down at himself.

Erem grinned and collected some of the thick fluid from Barach’s belly. He resumed stroking Barach’s cock, rubbing it into his skin. 

It was an odd sensation, but after seeing Erem’s impassioned orgasm, Barach wasn’t long behind. He grabbed Erem’s hair again and pulled him close for a kiss. Erem’s mouth was open, this tongue playful, as Barach moaned and came, coating Erem’s hand, arm, and belly. 

They kissed a little more while they both caught their breath. 

Erem laughed, holding up his covered hand. “Wow, you’ve been pent up.”

“Hardly,” Barach scoffed. “You think I only get off when I’m with you?”

Staring up at him, Erem slowly and seductively licked his sticky fingers. The sight made Barach’s fading erection throb, like it was ready for more. “You’re my boyfriend now, Barach. I better be the only one you’re getting off with.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, backing toward the steaming shower and pulling Erem with him. “I can take care of myself sometimes. I don’t always need your mouth or hand.”

“You don’t, huh? We’ll have to work on that.” Erem smiled. 

Barach smiled back at his boyfriend, then handed him the soap. They scrubbed each other clean and rinsed off. After turning the water off, they dried, dressed, and went back to their room, holding hands the entire way through the dark and empty halls.


	28. Gabriel: 19th Degree of Blight, 593 DE

It was raining when Gabriel left his last class, which fit his mood. Grey, cold, and dismal. The instructors were proud of him for improving. They all acknowledged his hard work, but it still wasn’t perfect. At least he wasn’t failing any of the classes anymore and they weren’t threatening to kick him out. Maybe that would be enough to appease his father when he saw his grades. He doubted it, though.

Gabriel was so lost in his dour mood that he walked around the corner and bumped right in to Lorcasiel and his gang. For a month, he had managed to avoid them, and there he was, walking right into their clutches. 

“Shit,” he groaned, resigned.

Lorcasiel grabbed Gabriel’s tunic and swung him around, throwing him back to his friends. “Look who decided to come out and play,” he crooned.

Several pairs of hands grabbed him, immobilizing his arms and wings. They weren’t gentle about holding him, and fingers dug into his feathers. With all the nerve endings wings had, it hurt a lot. 

That was something he’d learned in anatomy this month. Unfortunately, it was also the class he’d improved the least in.

“Aren’t you supposed to be rolling in the mud somewhere?” Gabriel asked Lorcas scornfully.

One of his friends said, “Practice is canceled for the rain. Lucky us.”

Another said, “We need to pay you back for what you did to Dien.” 

“Who?” Gabriel asked, glaring back at the one who said the name.

A hand tightened on his arm on his other side. “Our teammate whose arm you broke.”

Lorcas stood before Gabriel, glaring down at him. “Wasn’t that remedial Ahnnak who fell off the academy your brother?”

“Don’t,” Gabriel growled.

“Not so funny when it happens to someone else, huh?”

“If you had anything to do with that-”

“Pfft, with the stupid brat who tripped himself? Like I care that much. No one is going to mess with some simple kid who is too dumb to fly.”

Gabriel bared his teeth, furious. “I swear, you let me go, and I’m going to rip your face off.”

Lorcas laughed. “Sounds fun. What do you say boys? The rain canceled the hunt outside, so let’s have a game inside.” His grin was sinister.

“I’ll fight you all,” Gabriel yelled. “I’ll fucking cover the halls with your blood!”

Smirking, Lorcas grabbed one of Gabriel’s long primary feathers and ripped it out. He brought it up to his face, sniffing the feather as he slid it across his upper lip. “You better run, boy,” he said, his eyes wild with the thrill of the hunt. 

_I’ll stand and fight. I’ll kill you_ , Gabriel thought vehemently, but when Lorcas stepped aside and the others shoved him forward, Gabriel ran. 

They only gave him a few seconds head start, then Lorcasiel whooped the warcry of the Hunt, and they were after him. The stone halls reverberated the sounds of their pounding feet and bloodthirsty cries. Gabriel heard the flutter of wings overhead, and knew they were almost on him.

Desperate, Gabriel dove through an open arch into the rain. It did no good. The cold rain slowed his wings and the Hunt was on him in seconds, dragging him down to the ground with cheers and laughter. 

They beat the crap out of him, only stopping when Lorcas whistled and put a halt to their game. He stood over Gabriel, grinning and twirling Gabriel’s feather between his fingers. “I think I’ll keep this,” he said. “You don’t mind, do you? Maybe I’ll start a collection.” 

“Fuck you,” Gabriel wheezed, bubbles of blood popping on his lips. 

Laughing, Lorcas and the rest of the Huntsmen flew off, leaving Gabriel bleeding in the rain. 

Staring up at the grey sky, Gabriel lay in the grass while heavy drops of water hit his face. His blood seeped into the wet ground beneath him, turning the mud red. 

“I hate my life,” he announced miserably to no one. Pained, he rolled onto his side and pushed himself to his feet. 

Saturated and sore, Gabriel limped back to his room. 

***

“You look terrible,” said Erem helpfully. 

Gabriel glared at his friend. “Shut up.”

“You just let them beat you up?” asked Barach, arms crossed. “Not a single punch back?”

“I was trying to get away.”

“Since when do you run?”

“Since there were six of them, and they decided to hunt me,” Gabriel snarled back.

Barach frowned. 

Erem reached out to touch Gabriel’s cheek, but Gabriel jerked back and smacked his friend’s hand away. “Stop it,” he said, annoyed with them both already.

“You going to the medic?” asked Erem, an eyebrow raised.

“What for? It’s just a few bruises.”

“It’s more than a few bruises, Gabe,” said Barach.

Gabriel shrugged, which was painful. “If I go to the medic, they’ll ask how this happened. No one will believe me if I say the Hunt did this, and even if they did, they won’t do anything about it.” He pulled off his wet and bloody shirt, throwing it on the floor. “Fucking bastards. They think they’re untouchable.” 

Erem whistled low. “Damn, Gabe, they got you good.”

Gabriel pushed his wet pants off his hips and kicked them aside. He grabbed a towel and roughly started drying his skin, scrubbing any remaining blood off. Most of the bruises on his body were from where the Hunt had kicked him. They focused on his stomach and back mostly, but his legs had a few bright purple spots too. The entire right side of his torso was just one big, tender bruise, from his armpit to his hip, and halfway around his chest and back. 

Bruises on his wrists were in the shape of the hands that had restrained him when the Hunt pulled him to the ground. He paused while drying himself to press his hand over the mark, furious that he could barely cover half the large hand print. He started shaking. _He was so fucking angry_. Gabriel pulled the towel over his head and rubbed the rainwater from his silver hair vigorously, plotting his revenge.

“Did they injure your wings?” asked Barach, walking over to sit on Erem’s bed. He sounded disappointed, like he thought Gabriel had just let them beat him up. 

“No. Lorcas ripped out a feather, and they grabbed my wings a few times, but they didn’t injure them.” If they had, Gabriel wouldn’t have had a choice about seeing the medic. 

Huntsmen or not, injuring an Ahnnak or Terran’s wings was considered a serious offense, and they could all have been expelled from the academy. No, those assholes knew what they were doing, and they knew exactly how much they could hurt Gabriel without it being taken seriously. 

Gabriel left the towel around his shoulders as he picked out a new outfit. He dressed in long, baggy pants and a full sleeve shirt. It was restrictive, but would cover most of his injuries. There was nothing he could do to hide his face, though.

A sheet of metal hanging on the wall had once been the backing of a mirror. A couple years ago, Erem broke it while they were wrestling. They had to throw away all the glass, but the metal was fine, so they hung that back up. It reflected well enough for most days, though the image was blurry and distorted. 

Standing before the hazy metal, Gabriel tilted his face back and forth, but it wasn’t clear enough. Frustrated, he reached out, passing his hand over the metal and leaving a glossy sheet of ice behind. It sharpened his reflection drastically, though he still didn’t like what he saw.

The bridge of his nose was split, and he had a mask of purple bruises across his cheeks under his eyes. He touched his nose tenderly, unable to smell anything but his own blood. He sniffled, scowling at his reflection. Lorcas had been the only one to hit his face, so he knew, without a doubt, who he could blame for this.

“If you don’t want to come down to dinner, I can get food from the dining hall and bring it back,” said Erem. 

“I’m not going to hide in here,” said Gabriel, looking at his friend’s reflection in the mirror. “If anyone asks, just tell them I walked into a door.”

“Seriously?” asked Erem. “You think anyone will believe that?”

“They don’t have to believe it,” Gabriel replied, “but I’m not telling anyone the truth. I’ll deal with Lorcas and the Hunt on my own.”

Barach huffed. “What are you going to do? Hope they break their hand hitting your face the next time they attack you?”

Glaring, Gabriel said, “I don’t know yet, Barach, but I’m an Ahnnak heir. If I hide behind the Headmaster or the instructors, I’m never going to live it down, even if the Hunt leaves me alone. I’ll deal with it.”

“You’re a fucking idiot, Gabe” said Barach, standing angrily. “Do you like getting your ass kicked? Because I can do it, right here, right now. You don’t have to go out and piss off the fucking Hunt. I can beat you bloody any day, and you don’t even have to leave this room.”

Gabriel turned to face him, baring his teeth. “Try me, Barach.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down,” Erem said, springing between them. “Nobody is beating up anyone else today. It’s dinner time. We’re all just hungry. Let’s go have a nice calm dinner, and we can talk about how to help Gabe later.”

Barach and Gabriel glared at each other for a bit more while Erem nervously looked between them. For once, Barach turned away first. “Fine.” 

Gabriel had no intention of asking his friends to help him. He would deal with Lorcasiel alone. 

Somehow.


	29. Remiel: 19th Degree of Blight, 593 DE

Remiel carried Alex’s dinner tray and his own, holding them both over his head as he weaved through the crowd. One of the boys still waiting in line, who Remiel had second period with, jokingly mimed flipping one of the trays from his hand. 

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Remiel replied sarcastically, to his classmates delight. He continued on, passing through the rest of the crowd without incident.

“Phew, we did it,” said Remiel, lifting his wing and looking at the little boy clinging to his side. Black eyes stared up at him, practically traumatized. “It wasn’t that bad, Alexiel.”

With considerable effort, Alex forced himself to let go of Remiel’s shirt and step out of the shelter of his wing. It was hard for Remiel to believe Alex had been with him for only two months. He’d already grown so much. Before, he could barely tolerate touching anyone other than his brother. Now, he was traversing the dinner rush, surrounded by hundreds of hungry students. Granted, he hid under Remiel’s wing the whole time, but still. 

Remiel was proud. Alex was improving.

Taking his tray from Remiel, Alex said, “I prefer when you leave me with my brother.”

“Well, he doesn’t always eat with us, and I’m not about to leave you alone.”

“But he was here today.”

“And think of how happy he’ll be when he sees that you got your own food,” said Remiel, smiling.

“I guess,” the little boy murmured, following Remiel over to the long table.

Alex placed his tray on the table beside his brother before he looked at him. He froze, his eyes going wide. “B-Brother, your face.”

Gabriel’s lip curled back in a sneer. “I walked into a door,” he grumbled, his voice a low growl.

Slowly, Alex lowered himself onto the seat beside Gabriel. The boy couldn’t stop staring at his face.

Remiel sat on the other side of the table, beside Barach. Erem was flicking food around his tray looking altogether unhappy next to Gabriel. Something had definitely happened, and it wasn’t a door.

Never having been comfortable with awkward silences, Remiel blurted out, “So, Alexiel went through the dinner line today.”

Gabriel looked down at his brother. “Did you?”

Alex nodded, finally turning his eyes away from the mask of bruises that stretched across Gabriel’s cheeks. He looked down at his food, but didn’t eat. His wings folded in tight against his back, betraying his anxiety.

“That’s good. I’m glad you’re adjusting to being here,” said Gabriel. He spoke in calm, pleasant tones, but his blue eyes had a hard edge to them. “How are your classes?”

Voice trembling, Alex said, “Instructor Dardiel still won’t let me fly.” He swallowed hard. “Terran Fuztethiel is teaching us about the colonists from Ahn.” His eyes flicked up to his brother’s face again, but he quickly looked away. It was clear he didn’t believe the door story any more than the rest of them, but he was too afraid to question his brother.

Barach sat watching them, tapping his fingers in an annoyed pattern on the table. “This is stupid,” he said, then blurted, “Gabe got the shit kicked out of him for pissing off the Hunt.”

Remiel’s eyes widened. “You what?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Gabriel yelled at Barach, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. The trays bounced and clattered. Tears filled Alex’s eyes. 

Barach stood up, his wings snapping out and expanding, nearly hitting the kitchen staff walking behind him. She almost dropped the stack of dirty trays she carried, but rebalanced them and gave the boys a nasty look before continuing on. 

“Lying to your brother about this isn’t going to help,” snapped Barach. 

“He doesn’t need to know!”

“He already knows!” Barach yelled, motioning at Alex. “Can’t you see the kid if fucking terrified, because he sees that you’re hurt and you’re lying to him about it? He’s not stupid, Gabe, _unlike you_.”

Breathing hard and jaw clenched, Gabriel glared at Barach. His blue eyes looked brighter surrounded by his bruised skin. Remiel was just glad the boy wasn’t looking at him like that. One time on the wrong side of the silver-haired Ahnnak’s wrath was enough.

After one more hateful snarl at Barach, Gabriel turned and looked down at Alex. The black-haired boy still sat there, staring at his untouched food, hands clasped beneath the table. His wings quivered against his back and big tears filled his eyes. 

He was definitely terrified. Remiel wanted to take him away from there, but he knew better than to try to interfere between the brothers. What happened between them was beyond his control.

“Damn it, Alex,” Gabriel said, sighing and slumping beside his brother. He deflated, his anger dissolving. He wrapped an arm around his little brother and pulled him close, pressing his forehead against the boy’s black hair. “I’m not angry at you.”

“You’re hurt,” Alex whimpered, his voice high and fragile. He sounded like he was about to start sobbing. “Someone hurt you.”

“I’ll be fine, Alex. It’s nothing.”

“Why did you lie about the door?” the child asked. 

“I didn’t want you to worry,” said Gabriel, trying hard to sooth his brother.

“I _know_ what being punched in the face looks like, Brother. I thought-” Alex’s voice broke off. He turned his face against his brother’s chest and murmured something so quiet, no one but Gabriel heard him.

Gabriel stroked Alex’s hair, holding him tight in his arms. “Hush. No, that’s not what happened. It was just the Hunt. They’ve got nothing on him.” 

Alex nodded and sniffled, his wings giving a weak flutter. He stayed against Gabriel’s chest for a few moments to calm himself. When he pushed away from his brother, he still had tears in his eyes, but he didn’t look as upset. “What’s the Hunt?” he asked softly.

Tucking Alex’s black hair behind his ears, Gabriel said, “The Huntsmen are a group of jerks who participate in a this stupid game the Isten created. They’re called the Hunt, because that’s all they do. They’re the worst.”

While Gabriel was consoling Alex, Barach sat back down. “They are some of the strongest Terran and Homm on campus,” he said. “Nobody messes with them.”

“Except Gabe,” said Erem, flicking a piece of fruit across his tray. 

“They started it,” said the silver-haired boy. He smiled a little at Alex. “I’ll be okay. I can deal with them.”

“You can’t, Gabe, not on your own,” said Barach. “They’re not going to give up.”

Gabriel sighed. “I’ll figure something out. You all need to stop worrying about me. I can handle this on my own.”

“When? How many more times are they going to attack you before you figure out how to stop them?”

“What do you want me to do Barach? I’m can’t run from them forever. It’s not like you can help me.”

“Why not?” Barach demanded. 

Tilting his head, Gabriel asked, “What?”

“Why can’t I help you?”

“We’re not in the same class anymore.”

“So? We’re still friends. If I was with you, we would have ripped them apart.” 

The corner of Gabriel’s mouth quirked up. “Yeah, we would have.” He shook his head. “But it doesn’t matter. My classes are in a completely different part of the academy now.”

“Then wait for me. I’ll walk you to class. I’ll walk back with you after. If you’re not alone, they probably won’t mess with you, and if they do, we’ll take them down.” 

Gabriel’s silver brow furrowed. “Why would you do that for me? It’s a waste of your time.”

“Damn it, Gabe. If you have to ask, you really are an idiot.” Barach held out his closed fist before Gabriel. The silver-haired boy mirrored the gesture, and they bumped their knuckles together. Both of them smiled.

With that, the atmosphere surrounding the table immensely improved. Remiel breathed a sigh of relief. The boys started talking and laughing like they usually did, and everyone resumed eating, even Alex. 

“So the Ahn colonists, huh?” Gabriel asked, stuffing a ball of rice into his cheek. “What do you know so far?”

Alex swallowed the food in his mouth and said, “Not much. Terran Fuztethiel spent most the classes last week talking about why they left Ahn. There’s a girl in class who still doesn’t believe Ahn is big enough for people to live on it, and it slows things down a lot. She asks a lot of questions.”

Gabriel clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “You don’t belong in that class. I don’t know how they expect you to catch up if you’re surrounded by kids like that.”

“That’s why I’m helping him,” said Remiel. 

“I like the class,” said Alex, his bottom lip sticking out. “Uzzi is in that class.”

“You can do better,” said Gabriel, and Remiel wasn’t sure if he was talking about the class or the friend.

“Well, how are your classes going?” Remiel inquired sternly. “Your grades get posted monthly, don’t they? How did you do?”

Gabriel flinched. “Better, but…” He shrugged his wings. “Anatomy is hard. I got the names of the bones in the wrist mixed up.” He held out his hand, pointing along as he said, “I know the distal, middle, and proximal phalanges, then the metacarpal bones. They’re numbered one, two, three, four, five, starting at the thumb. But then here, in the wrist-” He pushed up his sleeve to show more, but he revealed skin ringed with dark bruises. He immediately jerked his sleeve back down, embarrassed. 

Alex looked up at his brother, black eyes unreadable. He held up his hand, offering it to Gabriel. “Then what?” he asked softly.

Taking his brother’s hand gently, Gabriel pointed to the bones in Alex’s wrist. He smiled at him gratefully, and continued. “These were the ones I got mixed up. There are eight little bones here called the carpals, but they each have their own name, too. I can’t keep them straight.” 

“There’s that many?” Alex asked, looking at his hand curiously. “Is there supposed to be eight or did they break apart?”

Gabriel laughed. “There’s supposed to be eight. That’s what lets your hand move around like this,” he said, moving and rotating Alex’s hand about, then making Alex wave at himself. 

The little boy laughed, and it was a bright sound that made everyone else at the table smile with him. 

“You know, if you need help studying, I can help teach you,” Remiel offered.

“You’re haven’t taken these classes,” said Gabriel. “Besides, you’re supposed to be teaching Alex, not me.” He released his little brother’s hand, but Alex left it sitting on the table between them. 

“Half of teaching is knowing where to look for the answers,” said Remiel. “None of the instructors are nearly as smart as they like people to think they are. Well, except maybe the Isten.”

Gabriel huffed. “Maybe not even them.”

Erem nudged Gabriel’s side. “You’ll get in trouble if they hear you talk like that.”

“Who’s going to tell?” Gabriel asked, looking at the empty seats around them. “Him?” Another member of the kitchen staff was walking up the aisle behind Gabriel. His arms were laden with heavy stacks of trays and cutlery, and he seemed very focused on getting back to the kitchen without bumping in to any students. It was doubtful he cared about overheard snippets of conversation.

“Well, no, but-” Erem’s words cut off as suddenly, the man stumbled behind them. The trays clattered to the ground in a cacophonous racket that silenced all conversation in the dining hall. Everyone just stared for a moment, then someone on the far end of the room started to clap. People laughed, and the standard noise of the hall resumed. 

Some of the students at nearby tables crouched to help the man pick up his spilled trays, knives, and spoons. Gabriel, Erem, Barach, and Remiel all settled back down on their benches. The noise had been startling, and Remiel could still feel his heart racing. Everyone turned back to their dinners.

Everyone, that was, except Alex. He had never looked away from the table. He just sat there, silently staring at where his hand rested on the wood. He didn’t blink at all, and it took Remiel a moment longer than it should have to realize why.

A large knife jutted from the back of Alex’s hand, pinning him to the dining table. It was sunk so deep into the wood, the hilt almost rested against the boy’s pale skin. Everyone seemed to realize it was there at the same time, and could only stare in shocked silence.

It was in that stunned silence that Alex calmly observed, “Huh. Right between the second and third metacarpals. I think… I’m stuck.”

Remiel shouted for help.


	30. Alex: 20th Degree of Blight, 593 DE

The next day before class, Alex showed Uzzi his wound. New skin already covered the gap, but it was mostly transparent. He held it up to the fire sconce in the hall so Uzzi could see the way the light shone through his palm. His hand definitely hurt, but it was almost worth it to see his friend’s awestruck expression.

“How did it happen?” Uzzi gasped. 

“A Homm from the kitchen dropped his trays and one of the knives landed on the table,” explained Alex. He wrapped his hand back up with the cloth bandage Medic Haniel had given him. It was hard to tie the ends again, so he just held them in his closed fist. It wasn’t like he’d be using that hand for anything today anyway.

“That’s crazy! You could have died,” said Uzzi, walking with him to the classroom. 

“It was just a knife. It didn’t even hurt that much, until my brother tried to pull it out.” The blade had been firmly wedged in the table, and all Gabriel had succeeded in doing was wiggling it around a bit. They had to wait for some of the instructors to arrive, but by that time, the whole dining hall had gathered to watch. Being at the center of attention like that was worse than being stabbed.

“It didn’t hurt?!” Uzzi exclaimed. “It’s a knife! It went through your whole hand!”

Fuztethiel frowned at them. “Shhh, what are you two talking about?”

Alex didn’t want to tell him, but he didn’t have to. Uzzi said, “Alex got stabbed yesterday and he says it doesn’t hurt.”

“Uzziel, I know you and Alexiel are friends, but he’s an Ahnnak. You should really refer to him with his full name, as Alexiel, not Alex.” 

“Why?” Uzzi asked, curling back his lip on one side. 

“Because it’s polite.”

“Well, I’m not polite. And Alex doesn’t care anyway. Do you, Alex?”

Alex shrugged, lifting his wings with his shoulders. “No. I don’t care.”

“You boys are only eight. It’ll matter when you get older, so try, please.” 

“Fine, whatever,” Uzzi said, walking away from the lecture. 

The teacher noticed the bandage around Alex’s hand then. “Are you alright, Alexiel? Did you cut yourself?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Fuztethiel nodded. “You need to be careful with knives. They’re not toys.”

“Yes, sir,” said Alex, and that seemed to appease the teacher. He hurried over to the desk to sit beside Uzzi while the remainder of the class arrived.

Once everyone was seated and attendance was taken, Fuztethiel picked up where he’d left off in the previous day’s lecture. “Alright, who can tell me how many Isten were sent with the citizens of Ahn to Ter? We talked about it yesterday right before the end of the day. Do you remember? Yes, Wuliel.”

“Sixty?” the round faced boy asked shyly.

“That’s right,” said Fuztethiel. “Sixty Isten were selected from all the Isten on Ahn. They were chosen for their skills and knowledge, and they were sent here to guide Ter and prepare it for more colonists. Each Isten was provided a ship to travel through the void between Ahn and Ter. The Isten guarded and protected ten of the colonists on each of their ships. These men and women of Ahn were chosen because they were the strongest and most brilliant citizens. We are all descended from them.”

“Even Alex?” asked Uzzi. Fuztethiel tilted his head and gave him a displeased look. Uzzi made a face. “Even _Ahnnak Alexiel_?” he said, making it clear he was only saying the name that way for the teacher’s sake.

“Yes,” said Fuztethiel. “Even the Ahnnak are descended from the Ahn colonists. They have one Isten parent, but the other is Terran, and all Terran are descended from the colonists. Isn’t that right, Alexiel?”

Alex looked down. He didn’t like when the attention of the class turned on him, and he certainly didn’t like talking about his family. Terran Fuztethiel did not push him to answer the question, though. He resumed teaching the class. 

“So each Isten left Ahn with ten colonists. Can anyone tell me how many colonists came to Ter, not counting the Isten?”

A couple hands raised. A few of the kids were counting on their fingers. Alex watched Uzzi from the corner of his eye, and the fiery boy wasn’t paying attention at all. He was focused on something beneath the desk. 

“A thousand,” someone shouted, obviously just guessing. 

“Nope, try again,” said Fuztethiel pointing at another student. 

“Sixty ships and ten crew, so… six-hundred? But didn’t one of the ships get lost?” asked a girl near the front.

“You’re right,” said Fuztethiel. “Sixty ships, sixty Isten, and six-hundred colonists left Ahn. All the ships made it to Ter, except one. It malfunctioned and lost pressurization halfway through the voyage. Everyone died, even the Isten Yaen.” Fuztethiel lowered his head and placed his hand over his heart, observing a moment of silence for the lost Isten. 

Some of the kids quietly copied his gesture. For a few heartbeats, everyone was silent. Then Fuztethiel straightened and resumed talking.

“So six-hundred left Ahn, but five-hundred ninety arrived on Ter. Most of the ships landed in the area we now know as E’din, but there were about a dozen ships whose trajectory took them to other parts of Ter. They were scattered across the planet, and it took months of searching for the Isten to gather them all. A few of the colonists didn’t ever make it to E’din.”

“They died?” asked a boy with light brown hair.

Fuztethiel nodded. “For the first two years, the colonists had to remain inside the ships. The gravity and oxygen levels on this planet were too much for them. Until the Isten constructed the reserve, it was very dangerous for the colonists on Ter. Even after the reserve was finished, the colonists could never leave it. They had to rely on the Isten for everything. It wasn’t easy for the Isten, either. Not only did they have to build shelter for the colonists, but they had to protect them from the fiends who savagely roamed the land.” Fuztethiel said the last part ominously, raising his hands up like claws. 

Uzzi looked up from whatever he was doing beneath the table to watch and listen. Alex noticed smoke curl up from beneath the desk near his friend. 

“In the first year, two ships were destroyed by the bloodthirsty fiends. They killed every single Ahn colonist within. After that, the Isten drove all the fiends from the area, creating the beginning of the protected territory we know today as E’din.” Fuztethiel lowered his hands. “The Isten have always been our greatest protectors. We owe all our lives to their benevolence and majesty. Without them, surely the fiends of Ter would have destroyed all the colonists, and none of us would exist.”

The girl who didn’t believe Ahn was a big enough planet to live on raised her hand. Uzzi rolled his eyes and went back to working on whatever was beneath the table.

“Yes, Tamiel?”

“Why’d the Isten bring the colonists at all?”

“To make babies, stupid,” said the girl beside her. 

“Don’t call me stupid, Macie,” she yelled back. 

“Girls, don’t fight in class. It’s a very good question, Tamiel. Maciel, you’re right, in a way. The colonists came to help the Isten prepare Ter for the rest of Ahn’s arrival, but without being able to walk or fly here, their first focus had to be on having children who had a strong enough bond with the planet. They took genes from some of the local fiends - friendly one, who offered their help - in order to create the first of the descendants. That took twenty-two years, and by that time, there were only three-hundred-and-eighty-six colonists remaining. It took another three years before the lineage of Homm and Terran as we know them emerged. Those children were raised and taught by the colonists, then sent out to work the land with the Isten. We have been with them ever since.”

Maciel frowned. “Wait, Homm _and_ Terran came from the colonists? But all the people of Ahn have wings, like Terran. Why don’t Homm?”

Terran Fuztethiel looked up as he thought. “It’s, um… It’s how the genetics work. The plainswalkers, that is, the friendly fiends the colonists borrowed the genes from, they don’t have wings. So, some of the descendants were born without wings. They’re the Homm. That’s also why they age faster than the Terran, but it is easier for them to have large families, so they are very useful in helping the Isten care for the land.” Fuztethiel adjusted the spectacles he wore on the end of his nose. “You’ll learn more about genetics in a few years. Don’t worry about the details now. The important thing to remember is, we are all descended from Ahn.” 

Fuztethiel paused. His brow furrowed and his nostrils flared as he glanced around the room and asked, “Do you smell burning?”

Smoke poured from the underside of Alex and Uzzi’s desk, and Uzzi leapt up, grabbing Alex’s arm and pulling him back with him. They crashed into the desk behind them, their bench clattering to the floor. Chaos erupted in the room. Kids started screaming. 

The teacher ran over, grabbed the desk, and flipped it up on its side against the wall, releasing the rest of the black smoke and revealing the scorch mark on the underside of the desk. Fuztethiel waved his hand over the wood, coating it with a crackling layer of ice. He fanned the air with his wings, dispersing the rest of the smoke. Only when he was sure nothing else was burning, did he turn to Uzzi.

“Sorry,” Uzzi blurted. “Didn’t mean to.”

As the teacher stalked forward, Uzzi pressed a warm, wooden disk into Alex’s hand, then climbed on top of the desk behind them. 

“Uzziel, get down!” Fuztethiel ordered. 

“Sorry, not gonna happen,” said Uzzi. He jumped across the aisle to the next desk, then ran and leaped. His wings snapped out and he sailed toward the door. 

With all the children bouncing around in a panic, there wasn’t enough space for Fuztethiel to spread his wings and fly after Uzzi, so he ran, springing over a desk at the front of the room. 

For a second, Alex almost thought Uzzi would make his escape, but Fuztethiel was fast, and grabbed him before he made it out the door. 

With a firm hold on Uzzi’s upper arm, Fuztethiel turned to the class. “Calm down, everyone. I’m going to get Terran Triketiel. Stay here.” He stepped out of the room, dragging Uzzi along with him. 

Alex looked down at the disk Uzzi had placed in his hand. One side had an image of the sun burnt into the wood. The other was nearly all burnt black, except for a cresent shape, like the waning moon. It still held heat. 

“Children, come with me.”

Alex’s head snapped up. A serious looking Terran woman stood at the door. The other kids walked toward her. Alex clenched the piece of wood in his hand and followed, though he stayed at the back of the group.

They left the smoky classroom and followed Terran Triketiel up the hall to her room. She ushered them in as a bunch of younger kids watched wide eyed from a rug at the front of the room. Alex didn’t see Uzzi or Fuztethiel anywhere in the hall, and he hoped his friend would be okay. 

“Go ahead and sit on the rug, children. We’re having story time, and you can all join us.” The class sat behind the cluster of younger kids. Alex hesitated a moment, not comfortable being that close to all of them, but the teacher said, “Sit,” in a tone that Alex knew meant he didn’t have another choice. 

He sat at the edge of the rug, and though his own class let him have that space, a little girl from the younger class crawled over to sit beside him. She looked up at him, blinking big brown eyes at him. “I like you hair,” she whispered.

“Thanks,” he murmured, leaning away from her. He squeezed the medallion tightly in his hand. She settled in beside him, much too close and much too comfortable, but Alex didn’t leave the corner of the rug.

The teacher opened a book and began to read, keeping the children there for the rest of the afternoon until all the classes let out. Uzzi and Fuztethiel didn’t come back.

***

“In cases of extreme disobedience, the faculty is allowed to discipline students as they see fit,” Remiel explained. 

Uzzi lay on Alex’s bed, stretched out on his stomach with his wings raised off his back. He kicked his feet against Alex’s pillow again, moaning into the blankets. “It’s not fair,” he cried, his voice muffled by the bed. 

“You lit a table on fire during class,” said Remiel, without any sympathy. 

Lifting his tear streaked face, Uzzi said, “Yeah, but not the _whole_ table. They didn’t have to whip me for it.” 

Alex sat beside his friend, feeling sorry for him. Uzzi had shown him the marks on his back and butt, which were very red, but not that deep. They would heal quickly. 

“Why did you do it?” asked Remiel. 

“I was making something,” Uzzi muttered, looking over at Alex. “Did you… did you like it?”

Alex took the wooden disk out of his pocket and held it out before Uzzi. “Yes, but what is it?”

Uzzi took it from Alex’s hand and pushed himself up on his elbows. “It’s the sun on this side, and the moon on this side, so you’ve always got something watching over you,” he explained. “It’s a good luck charm.” He handed it back to Alex.

“Oh. How does it work?”

Laying his head back on the blanket, Uzzi looked up at him and said, “It’s a charm. It just works. I don’t know how. My grandma used to make them. I figure, you’ve got so much bad luck, anything has got to help.”

Remiel walked over to the bed. He looked down at the wooden medallion. “Can I see it?” he asked. Alex passed it to his tutor.

Carefully, Remiel held the disk and examined the design. He checked both sides thoroughly, like he was examining an expensive jewel. The boys watched him attentively, curious what his opinion of the piece would be. 

“You made this?” Remiel asked, an eyebrow raised.

Uzzi nodded. “Yeah.”

“In class.”

Wings fluttering, the boy admitted, “Yes, in class.”

“And this is why you burned the table?”

“I wanted the night behind the moon to be really dark, and I guess things got a little too hot.” 

“I see,” Remiel said, holding the medallion up and appraising it in the light. “Well, I can tell you one thing.” He paused dramatically, looking down at the boys with a serious expression. “This is one of the finest good luck charms I have ever seen _in my life_.” He grinned as Uzzi’s eyes brightened with happiness. “In fact, I doubt there has ever been a more impressive good luck charm crafted beneath a desk in the history of the universe.” He handed the medallion back to Alex. “You’ve got something special there. If you want, I can turn it into a necklace so you can wear it all the time.”

Smiling as he took the wooden disk from Remiel, Alex nodded. “I’d like that.”

Overflowing with happiness, Uzzi started to bounce and squirm on the bed next to Alex. He had momentarily forgotten about his condition, but the pain quickly reminded him. Going stiff, he dropped his head to the blanket and kicked Alex’s pillow again, hissing, “Ah! It hurts!”

Remiel reached down and rubbed the back of Uzzi’s head, ruffling his fiery hair. “I’ll go see if I can find your sister. Maybe she can help. Neither of you leave this room while I’m gone.

Miserable, Uzzi just groaned. 

“We’ll stay in,” said Alex for the both of them. He ran his thumb over the scorched sun. Remiel smiled at him and left to find Sophie. 

Alex stayed next to Uzzi, looking down at the medallion in his bandaged hand. “Thank you, Uzzi.” 

His friend lifted his face from the blanket and peered over at him with bleary eyes. “You’re welcome, Alex. I hope it helps.”

“Me, too,” he replied, and they smiled at each other.

***

Sophie tended to Uzzi for a little while in Alex’s room, but eventually she wanted to move him back to his own room to rest. Uzzi complained, but Sophie insisted, and she helped her little brother stagger from the room. She hadn’t been nearly as mad about Uzzi setting a table on fire as either of them thought she would be. 

After they were gone, Remiel sat on the floor at the low table and laid out some spools of thread and tools. He patted the spot next to him for Alex to join him. Curious, Alex sat, placing the medallion before him on the table. 

Remiel cut several long lengths of thread, then tied all the ends together. “Hold this,” he told Alex. “Just like that. Don’t move.” 

Alex held the knot over the table with his good hand like Remiel said. He watched as Remiel gathered the threads between his fingers, and with quick and sure movements, began weaving the thread into a dense square braid. 

For a while, Alex watched, transfixed, trying to make sense of how Remiel was doing it. The older boy’s fingers moved so fast, it was hard to make sense of the pattern. 

“Pull your hand back,” said Remiel. “Try to keep the strands tight for me. It’ll make it easier.” 

Alex did as Remiel instructed, keeping the woven thread tight. “You’re really good at this.”

Remiel smiled at him. “It’s easy when you understand the pattern. I can show you how to do it another night.”

“You can?”

“Sure. It’s not as hard as it looks, it just takes patience.”

“How did you learn to do this?”

Shrugging, Remiel said, “Taking thread or yarn and making something new, something people can wear or use, just makes me happy. Everything we wear was created by someone. They designed it and sewed it, and put all their effort into it, and you can see, even in the flaws, that they cared.” He smiled a little, but his eyes never left the thread. “When I was young, about your age, I got teased a lot. My grandfather, Nakir, never saw the point in getting me new clothes. He just expected me to find whatever old rags my siblings couldn’t wear anymore. Everything I had was stained or torn, and several years out of style, but I didn’t have any other choice. I wore it, and kids teased me.” His green eyes glanced up, catching Alex’s gaze. His fingers paused. “More than making fun of my clothes, the kids made fun of me because of how uncomfortable I was wearing those threadbare hand-me-downs. I understand that now, but at the time, I only blamed the clothing.”

Remiel resumed weaving, and Alex slid his arm back a little more to keep the thread tight. 

“One day, after being called dirty and ugly by a group of kids in my class, I went and sat on the eleventh floor passage behind the waterfall and cried. A couple Homm from the textile manufacturing specialization happened to walk by and took pity on me. They brought me back to the manufacturing room, gave me honey bread and tea, and figured out what was wrong with me. When the rest of the group arrived, just the five of them, they explained why I was there, and the whole class took pity on me that year. They sort of adopted me, like a mascot, and before long, I was there after class every day.”

Smiling, Remiel said, “They didn’t just stuff me with sweets and tea, though. They put me to work. I stood in as a model for them while they pinned clothing. They taught me how to run a loom, which is a fairly simple task, but tedious. I helped clean up the room every day. They kept me busy, and I didn’t spend as much time worrying about what the other kids in class thought of me.” He chuckled. “Not that I needed to. As the adopted group mascot, I had a new outfit almost every week. Sometimes, they dressed me in the most ridiculous things, stuff nobody should wear, but I loved it. Every hand-stitched, high-neck collar or pair of satin-slashed shorts with embroidered clouds I wore _proudly_ , because they made it for me. And some of the kids, they still made fun of me, but I didn’t care. I was happy. Once everyone figured out they couldn’t upset me anymore, most of the teasing stopped.” 

Remiel paused, shaking out his hand. He picked the thread back up and continued. “See, to me, clothing and fabric are more than just something to wear. It’s an identity, and it’s love, and you weave into your fabric everything good you want to send out into the world, and you hope that someday, somewhere, someone will understand and feel that happiness, too.” He reached the end of the thread. Remiel pinched the ends together and took the other side from Alex. He held it up to Alex’s neck and closed one eye. “Perfect.” 

Taking a bit of wax, Remiel rubbed his fingers down the length of the woven thread braid. It made it look smooth and shiny. “See, Alex, even this simple string can have a lot of meaning.”

“It can?” the boy asked, watching Remiel work.

“Look at the colors of the threads. Do they remind you of anything?”

Alex looked. “They’re the same colors as in Uzzi’s hair.”

“Yes, and in fire. This string can be a reminder of where your good luck charm came from and who gave it to you.” Remiel twisted the untied threads together with the wax, but he didn’t make a knot. He held it out to Alex. “Hold this.”

Alex took the string, pinching each end between his thumb and forefinger. Remiel took the wooden medallion, examining it again. 

“I know it’s not really lucky,” said Alex.

“Hm?”

“The good luck charm. I know it doesn’t really work. It’s just wood.” 

Remiel raised an eyebrow, turning his green eyes toward him. “I think having a friend who would go through that much trouble to make a charm like this is pretty lucky, don’t you?”

Alex looked over at the medallion, then down at the string, with all the woven colors of a fire. A little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I guess… Maybe you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Now, watch this, but don’t tell anyone. I’m not actually supposed to know this trick until I sign up for my specialization.” Remiel rubbed his fingers together, holding up the wood medallion in his other hand. His green eyes focused on the top of the medallion, then he snapped. There was a loud pop, which made Alex jump. Remiel held out the wooden disk with a perfect circle drilled through the top.

“How did you do that?”

“It’s a combination of an ice conjuration and a force push. It’s mainly used for sewing thick materials, like leather, but it can punch a hole through just about anything.” He grinned. “Which is why I’m not actually supposed to know it yet.”

Alex nodded, wide eyed. It was pretty impressive. Remiel took the string back from him and passed it through the top of the medallion. He tied the two ends together, ensuring they were tight, before he handed it back to Alex. “It should be long enough to slip over your head. Try it on.”

The necklace easily fit over his head and lay comfortably against his chest. Alex smiled. He could flip it so with the sun or the moon was visible. “I like it,” he told Remiel.

“Tuck it under your shirt when you run around or go flying, otherwise it might break. It is just wood, after all.” Remiel grinned at him. “Uzzi might not always think things through, but he means well. You’ve got a good friend.”

Alex held the medallion against his chest and smiled. He did have good friends. All of them.


	31. Barachiel: 25th Degree of Blight, 593 DE

“Don’t hurt him!” Barach snapped, smacking the back of Gabriel’s head. Silver hair flew into his blue eyes. Gabriel turned and glared menacingly.

“I swear on the Isten, Barach, you hit me one more time-”

“He’s coming again! Pay attention!” 

The bull auroch calf sprang by Gabriel, bouncing playfully around the grassy corral. He almost caught Gabriel’s shoulder on his curved dagger-length horns this time, but Gabriel twisted out of the way at the last second.

“Catch him _gently_ ,” said Barach. “He thinks it’s a game.”

“I know, damn it. I know!” Gabriel stomped and flung his silver hair back from his face, eyes sharp. He was getting frustrated. He had been knocked down and trampled by the playful calf a lot, but at least he was still trying.

Barach returned to the fence where Erem and Alex were perched on the wood, watching the scene before them. Erem still looked bored, but Alex watched with wide black eyes and flinched every time his brother got hit. 

The black-haired boy still wasn’t allowed to fly, but tiny white feathers had sprouted all across his healing wing. By the time classes resumed for Soldiers, the feathers would probably unfurl. Not long after that, Barach expected Alex would be back in the air. 

Gabriel dodged the calf again, then chased after him, struggling to keep his footing. The beast easily outmaneuvered him, and Gabriel was left grasping after nothing. 

While Gabriel swore more, Erem sighed, swinging his feet out before him. “This is so boring,” he complained. “I don’t know how you convinced Gabe to do this.”

“With the Hunt after him, he needs to get stronger,” said Barach. “This will help.”

“And you two are seriously going to spend the whole six degree break down here playing with the beasts?” Erem scrunched up his nose. 

“You didn’t have to come, Erem.” Barach smiled over at his boyfriend. “I know you don’t like it down here.”

Rolling his eyes, the blue-skinned boy replied, “Yeah, well, I don’t have anything better to do. I might as well watch you two run around like idiots. At least I’ve got someone to hang out with, isn’t that right, Alex?”

Alex flinched again, not paying attention to Erem at all. Barach looked back out to the field, where Gabriel was lying flat on his back, his wings spread beneath him. The calf pranced away, kicking up dirt. Barach could tell Gabriel had gotten the wind knocked out of him again, but he wasn’t hurt, just stunned. 

“Good try,” Barach shouted out, clapping a few times. “You almost had him that time.”

Gabriel raised one arm and extended a vulgar gesture at Barach, which just made him laugh. The calf circled the pasture again, and Gabriel got himself back to his feet, muttering the whole time.

“He’s going to hurt him,” said Alex, watching with a worried expression.

“Gabe will be fine,” reassured Barach. “The auroch isn’t big enough to do much damage yet.”

“It’s not my brother I’m worried for,” the little boy said, eyes focused on the calf as he made his next round. 

Barach leaned back on the fence and watched. As the calf pranced toward where Gabriel stood ready and waiting, Barach whistled, getting his friend’s attention. “Gently, Gabe!”

“Don’t distract me!” he yelled back, poised and ready. He was careful when he jumped forward to capture the beast, though. He got one hand on the auroch’s short horns, but the beast was able to twist and pull away from him without much trouble. Gabriel swore and chased after him.

“This is lame,” Erem groaned, flipping his leg over the post to straddle it. “Alex, play with me.”

The boy glanced at him, then back to Gabriel. He sighed and turned, wobbling on the wood as he carefully straddled the fence like Erem, facing the blue-skinned boy. “What do you want to play?”

“I could teach you a rope game. Got any string?”

“No.”

“What about your necklace?”

The black-haired boy touched the medallion hanging around his neck. “It’s not a toy.”

Erem frowned at him. “How many of my statues have you broken now?”

“Three,” said Alex glumly. 

“That’s right. Three. Even after I told you not to touch them anymore. So hand it over, let me see your necklace.”

Sighing, Alex took it off and handed it to Erem. “Uzzi made the medallion for me. Remiel made the string. If it breaks, they’re going to hate me.”

“Unlike some people, I don’t break other people’s things,” said Erem, looking the medallion over. “You said Uzzi made this? That red-haired kid who follows you around?”

“Yes. It’s a good luck charm.”

Erem huffed. “I could do better. My father taught me how to carve, like he does with the statues he brings back from his journeys. I’m not as good as him yet, but I can certainly do better than this. Uzzi just burnt the images on. I can fix it for you, if you want.”

“No, Eremiel, I like it how it is,” said Alex, holding his hand out, fingers twitching. “Please let me have it back.” He watched Erem nervously, like he thought the blue-skinned boy was going to snap the charm in half. 

“You like it like this? _Weird_. I guess it’s fine for a little kid.” He wrapped the string of the necklace around his fingers, weaving the starting shape for the game. The medallion hung loose between his hands. “Alright, see where the strings cross? Grab them and flip them around.” 

With a resigned sigh, Alex scooted closer on the fence so he could reach the string. “Here?”

“No. Not that one either. No. _There_. Use both hands. Pull up and over, then come back up the middle.” The little boy did as Erem told him, brow furrowed in concentration.

At least Alex wasn’t fretting over his brother anymore. Barach turned back to watch his friend, noting that Gabriel braced his feet before reaching out to grab the auroch. He still missed the timing and was knocked flat, but he was starting to show some improvement. 

At first, when Barach offered to train Gabriel, to help him become stronger, the boy refused. He said it was a waste of time. Then Barach knocked him down and sat on him. Even still, Gabriel stubbornly refused over an hour. It wasn’t until Barach started eating on his back, dripping sticky fruit juice into his feathers, that Gabriel agreed. He’d been mad about it, but he agreed, and that was all that mattered. 

Gabriel was an heir. There would always be people looking to challenge him. Plus, he was arrogant and temperamental, and had a knack for pissing people off. He needed to be strong enough to defend himself when that mouth of his got him in trouble. 

“No- Oops, it fell off. That’s okay, we’ll start again,” said Erem. He helped Alex set up the opening shape. The black-haired boy appeared a little more relaxed, attentively watching how Erem did the moves. “My older brother taught me to play this game.”

“You have an older brother?” asked Alex.

“ _Much_ older. I’ve got three, actually. The next closest is thirty-eight years older than me.”

“That’s a lot.”

Barach said, “It’s not unusual for Ahnnak. My next closest sister is fifty years older than me. There’s another fifty between her and our next oldest sister, and the next.”

Wide eyed, Alex asked, “How many sisters do you have?”

“Five,” he replied, smiling a bit. “I’m the only boy in my family.”

“What about your father?”

Barach shrugged. “My mother is an Isten. She took a husband for my three oldest sisters, but after he died, she didn’t feel the need to marry another. When she wants a child, she just chooses someone suitable.”

“So you’ve never met your father?” the black-haired boy asked. He held his fingers stretched with string before Erem, but he watched Barach closely. 

“Never,” he responded. “He was just a Terran, so what does it matter?” 

“See, my mother is a Terran, and she’s my father’s third wife, and she is amazing,” said Erem, stretching the new string pattern between his fingers. “I think my father actually married her because he loves her.”

“Isten don’t marry for love,” said Barach.

“Well, maybe not the first time,” said Erem, “But after they’ve got an heir? There really aren’t any rules stopping them. And you should see the way Harut looks at my mother. It’s like she commands the tides.”

Barach laughed. “You’re such a hopeless romantic.”

Erem blushed, his cheeks turning purple. “Shut up. I’m being serious. That’s why Ar and I were born so close together. Harut can’t stand being away from my mother.”

“Who is Ar?” asked Alex. He twisted his fingers in the string, pulling up the next pattern and holding it before Erem.

“My little sister. I’ve told you about her before,” said Erem.

“I never knew her name,” he replied.

“No? She’s going to be starting the academy in two years.” Erem paused, his fingers over the string. He glanced at Barach. “I’m not sure how I feel about being at the academy at the same time as her.”

“Why?” asked Alex.

For a moment, Erem and Barach’s eyes met. Barach understood that look entirely, though it was something he hadn’t given much thought to before. With Erem’s little sister there, how difficult would it be to keep their relationship a secret? What if she found out? What if word got back to Erem’s father, the Isten Harut? 

Barach tried not to think of it. They were careful. If they could keep the secret from Gabriel, who they shared a room with, they could keep it from anyone.

Erem turned his attention back to the string. “It’s just… It’s weird for an Isten to have more than one child at Archridge at a time.”

“It is?” Alex glanced toward the field where Gabriel stood.

“I’m not saying you and Gabriel are weird. Well, I mean, you’re weird, but that’s just because you were sick for so long,” said Erem. He made a mistake in the pattern, and the string didn’t hold its shape when he picked it up. “Ugh. I’m bored with this.” He handed the knot of string and the wooden medallion back to Alex. “Let’s play something else.”

“I’m going to give Gabe a break soon,” said Barach. “We’ll have lunch.” He watched Alex’s little fingers pick at the knot, struggling to get it untied.

“Lunch. That sounds good. I’ll go grab the basket.” Erem swung off the fence and landed on the outside of the corral. “Coming, Alex?”

“I’ll wait for my brother,” answered the little boy, almost annoyed, still pulling at the string. Erem shrugged and wandered off, heading inside the stables to the empty stall they’d left their packed lunch in.

Gabriel almost caught the auroch that time, getting both hands on the calf’s horns before they were twisted out of his grip. The calf pranced away, head held high. Gabriel glared after the beast. He pushed his hair back from his face, leaving a streak of blood across his cheek. He must have cut his hand on the horn.

“One more chance, Gabe!” Barach called. “Stop him this time!” The silver-haired boy made another rude gesture at him, but focused on the auroch with determination.

Alex finally got the knot untied. He put the necklace back on, tucking it beneath his shirt. His black eyes raised, watching Gabriel as the calf raced around the corral again. 

“He’s bleeding,” the boy said when he noticed the blood on Gabriel’s cheek. 

“He’ll be fine,” Barach assured him. “He just cut his hand.”

“ _He’s bleeding_ ,” Alex repeated with increased intensity. His grey nailed fingers clung to the fence.

It took Barach a moment to understand why he was so worked up. The auroch neared. Gabriel braced himself, ready to halt the calf’s charge. 

Then, all at once, Barach understood, but it was already too late. 

The auroch’s nostrils flared, smelling the blood on Gabriel’s hand as he reached out to him. The young beast panicked, the whites of his eyes visible as he jumped, twisting mid-air and kicking at the perceived danger, desperate to escape. A hoof collided with Gabriel’s face, snapping his head back. Gabriel hit the ground like a stone, completely motionless. 

Alex shot off the fence before Barach could grab him. The auroch still spun and kicked in the field, snorting wildly near Gabriel’s limp body. Barach raced after the boy, fearing Alex could be caught by those flailing hooves, too, and both brothers trampled. The boy was fast, though, diving between Gabriel and the auroch to face the beast. He held his palms out. 

Barach watched as the beast charged the child in a fear driven panic. His only thought to stop the calf in time was to stun him with a bolt of electricity, but he hesitated. Barach knew his control of the elements was unstable. He could end up overloading the auroch and killing it, or missing entirely and hitting Alex. 

In the split second Barach hesitated, the calf reached the boy. Alex fearlessly remained in the path until the last second, then sidestepped, reaching over his head with both hands to grab one of the auroch’s horns. He dug his heel into the dirt and twisted his body, using the beast’s own momentum to flip him around. Alex rolled the calf to the ground in a effortless move, then threw himself over the beast’s head, shielding the calf’s nose and eyes with his body. He put his face against the calf’s ear, whispering soft murmurs.

The auroch lay in the dirt, side heaving, but his legs stretched out beside him, at ease. Barach approached cautiously, watching the boy rub the calf’s neck. Swirling black eyes stared at Barach as he moved, completely devoid of any recognizable emotion. It was a look that chilled the older Ahnnak to his core. There was no fear in Alex’s eyes. Nothing that betrayed the gravity of what he had just done. 

Barach felt he understood Gabriel a little better now, about why he was so paranoid about having Alex around the beasts. The child had no sense of danger. 

“How did you do that?” Barach whispered. 

“Is my brother okay?” the boy asked, ignoring his question.

Barach checked on Gabriel. He had been knocked out. A bruise in the shape of the auroch’s hoof was forming over Gabriel’s eye and cheek. His nose looked broken. “He’s fine,” said Barach. 

“Can you get him out of the corral?” 

“I’m not going to leave you-”

“Go.” 

Barach’s wings bristled. He didn’t like some little kid telling him what to do. However, Alex did seem to have the auroch under control, just as well as Barach could have. 

Maybe better.

Kneeling, Barach gathered Gabriel’s limp body into his arms, careful of his wings. He stood and flew the unconscious boy out of the corral, laying him in a soft patch of grass near the wall of the stables. Gabriel groaned weakly, starting to come around. 

In the corral, Alex stood. The calf slowly got back on his feet, looking around with wide eyes, but otherwise completely calm. The black-haired boy pet his nose, still talking softly to him. When Alex walked toward the gate, the calf stayed right at his side, even though the beast stood a whole head taller than the little boy. 

“He’s ready to go back to his mother,” said Alex, opening the gate. Dumbfounded, Barach just watched as the calf walked out, waited for Alex to close the gate, and then walked with him down the path back to Cloudkicker’s pasture. 

Barach let him go. At this point, Alex was probably better off on his own with the beast. Barach sat in the grass beside Gabriel and waited, trying to make sense of the black-haired child. Before long, Alex came walking back up the path, dusting his hands off on his tunic.

“How did you do that?” Barach asked firmly as Alex stopped beside Gabriel.

“Do what?” the little boy asked, looking down at him innocently.

“ _Stop the auroch_. How did you do it?”

He shrugged. “I just did what I saw you do with Cloudkicker.”

“That was not what I did with Cloudkicker.”

“Well, no, but I’m not nearly as tall as you, Barachiel,” he said, as if it was obvious. Alex knelt beside Gabriel, his little grey nailed finger touching his brother’s cheek.

The silver-haired boy groaned, his eyes opening slowly. One of his pupils was fully dilated, making one blue eye appear mostly black. “What happened?” he whispered hoarsely. Alex pulled his hand away, watching his brother quietly.

“You got kicked in the face,” Barach informed his friend.

“By what?”

“The auroch.”

“Shit.” Gabriel reached up and touched his face, poking at his bruised cheek and broken nose. He winced. “Help me sit up.”

Barach propped Gabriel up against the stables wall, keeping his hand on his friend’s shoulder until he was certain Gabriel wouldn’t fall back over. “Better?” 

Gabriel’s mismatched eyes twitched back and forth as he struggled to remain focused on any one thing. He squinted and blinked rapidly, but his gaze still drifted. “I’m just a little dizzy,” he said.

Alex scooted closer so he knelt at his brother’s side. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine. That fiend-taken beast caught me by surprise.” 

“He’s just a baby, Brother.”

“Just a- He kicked me, Alex.”

“Your blood scared him,” the little boy said, defending the calf.

“He broke my nose!”

“ _You_ will heal. You need to be careful with him,” said Alex, looking up boldly into his brother’s uneven eyes. Gabriel glared back at him.

Before Gabriel could lose his temper and end up hurting himself more, Barach sighed and said, “Alright, you two, calm down. Gabe, I think you have a concussion. You’re done for today. Alex, he needs to stay awake for a few hours. Stay by his side and don’t let him fall asleep. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” exclaimed the silver-haired boy. “I nearly died!”

“You didn’t die. Don’t be dramatic,” said Barach. “I’m not letting you back out of training just because of a little head injury.”

Gabriel stared at him, his silver brow furrowed over his broken nose. “If the Hunt doesn’t kill me, you might.”

“I might, yes, but until you’re at least strong enough to fight me, you’re going to do what I say, Gabe.” 

“I could fight you now,” the silver-haired boy raged brashly. He attempted to punch Barach, but missed entirely, sliding against the wall and nearly falling over. 

Barach pushed him back upright. “You couldn’t even fight Alex right now, Gabe. Relax.” 

The black-haired boy’s fluffy little wings tightened against his back at the mere thought of fighting his brother. He wouldn’t resist Gabriel, not even in his current condition. However, Barach knew that if the child ever did fight back, he’d probably be more of a challenge than any of them expected. It wasn’t that easy to take down an auroch.

“You’re a jerk, Barach,” Gabriel griped. 

“Yeah, well, so are you.” Barach sat beside him along the wall, providing a little support for Gabriel to lean against. “But that’s why we’re friends, isn’t it?”

With a snort of air through his nose, Gabriel’s body relaxed against him. He rested his head on Barach’s shoulder, staring up into the blue sky. “This is a waste of time, but… it’s still better than studying,” he muttered.

Barach chuckled and patted his friend’s leg. “I know.”

Erem walked around the corner then, lunch basket in hand. He took a moment to survey the scene, then sighed loudly and complained, “Oh, sure, something interesting happens _after_ I leave.” 

He joined them, and they stayed on the grass by the stables for the rest of the afternoon, eating lunch, talking, and laughing. By the time Remiel arrived to get Alex, Gabriel was healed enough to fly, and they all returned to the Academy together. 

Tomorrow they would try again.


	32. Gabriel: 24th Degree of Wind, 593 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several months have passed, and it is the end of the year at the academy. It has been difficult, and Gabriel regrets that he could not do better, but there is some hope for the coming year of classes.

For the next few months, when he wasn’t training with Barach in the stables, Gabriel devoted himself to his studies. It still wasn’t enough. 

Every month, his scores were sent home. 

Every month, Alex was injured.

In Soldiers, just before the start of winter, the boy came to him one day with his arm in a sling. 

“I fell down the stairs and dislocated my shoulder,” he said. He’d also broken his arm in three places, but Remiel had been the one to explain that. 

In Descendants, a nest of scorpions was found in Alex’s bed after the small boy laid down in it. He spent the next three days vomiting from the toxins. Gabriel stayed by his side, trying to bring some comfort to the miserable child. They missed the entire Descendants Festival, which Gabriel had really been looking forward to taking him to.

In Saviors, Gabriel swore he wouldn’t let anything happen to Alex. He studied hard. He barely slept. His scores still weren’t good enough.

A classroom door opened too hard, and hit Alex in the face. It broke his nose and knocked out two of his teeth, including his last baby tooth. 

The instructors called Alex clumsy. Gabriel listened to kids laugh about the remedial Ahnnak who kept getting hurt. 

He hated them all.

But then there was Alex, smiling up at him with that shy, gap-toothed grin. Completely trusting, completely unaware that everything bad that happened to him was Gabriel’s fault.

Gabriel hated himself more than anyone.

It was the final class of the year. Gabriel sat at his desk, lamenting his scores, dreading the retaliation his father would inflict on Alex this time. The scores were set. His grades were final. He had passed. He had even done well, but he knew it wasn’t good enough. 

At least next year, he would be starting new classes along with everyone else. Maybe he would have a chance at keeping up, since he wouldn’t be scrambling to learn an extra four months of instruction at once. He might have a chance.

Lorcasiel sat heavily on the bench next to Gabriel, draping an arm around his shoulders. “Hey, baby.”

Startled, Gabriel looked for the instructor. The Terran had stepped out of the room. He was in the hall, talking to a couple of Terran boys and laughing. Gabriel recognized them as part of Lorcas’s Hunt. They were regaling the man with stories of their last victory, and serving to keep him distracted.

“What do you want, Lorcasiel?” asked Gabriel, leaning away from the older teen. 

Lorcas grinned, looking at Gabriel’s hair as he looped a silver lock around his finger and held it up. “You’ve been avoiding me lately. Your boyfriend picking you up again?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Gabriel glared at Lorcas. The Terran’s grey eyes met his. Lorcasiel’s skin was pale, but the amount of time he spent in the sun practicing had given him a deep tan, like a Homm who worked the fields. 

“He’s not?” Lorcas asked, feigning shock. “But you two look so cute together when he waits for you after class.” 

Since Blight, Barach met Gabriel after class every day. They’d dealt with a few incidents with other students, ones who only joined in tormenting Gabriel because the Hunt did, but those stopped after the second time Barach knocked someone out. The Huntsmen left them alone, though Gabriel suspected that had more to do with the preparations for the Winter Hunt than Barach’s intimidating presence. 

But the Winter Hunt was over. Lorcasiel and the Archridge Academy Huntsmen had won, claiming top prize and high honors for the academy. Now they were left with a whole season off, and had nothing better to do with their time than bother him. 

Gabriel pulled his hair out of Lorcas’s grasp, though the Huntsman’s arm remaining heavy across his shoulders. “Fuck off, Lorcas.”

Lorcasiel slapped his cheek, not hard, but the sound was sharp. “I don’t care if you are Ahnnak. You say my name with respect, baby boy.”

Sneering, Gabriel said, “Go fuck yourself, Lorcasiel.”

“Better, but little babies shouldn’t use such foul language.” There as a flash of cruel excitement in Lorcas’s eyes before he slammed Gabriel’s face against the desk and held him there, squishing his cheek against the wood. Lorcas’s hand tangled through Gabriel’s silver hair, holding tight as he leaned in and whispered, “I think we need to teach you some manners.”

The other two Huntsmen in the class came over, standing before the desk, blocking the view into the room with their spread wings. That is, if the useless Terran instructor had ever bothered to look over. He was still out there, jabbering away, completely worthless.

“Hold his arms,” Lorcas instructed. The Hunt spread Gabriel’s arms out across the desk, stretching him tight enough that it hurt. Releasing Gabriel’s hair, Lorcas stood, grinning down at him. “You gonna cry, baby?” 

Gabriel glared up at him, looking back as much as he could while being pinned to the desk. He wouldn’t cry. He wouldn’t scream. He wouldn’t give these assholes the satisfaction. He clenched his jaw tight.

Smirking, not breaking eye contact with Gabriel, Lorcas dug his fingers into Gabriel’s wing, pinching the shaft of another of his primary feathers. He didn’t pull it out, but held it firmly. His touch was irritating, and Gabriel’s wing gave an involuntary twitch, jerking away. Gabriel winced as his feather popped out, remaining in the Huntsman’s grasp. 

“Another? For me?” Lorcas asked, holding the long feather up to his face and sniffing it. “You’re so sweet, baby. Maybe we can teach you manners after all.” Lorcas pouted, looking at him with fake sympathy. “After your punishment, of course.” He nodded to the two Huntsmen, and they jerked Gabriel forward, pulling him up onto the desk so he lay bent in half across the top. 

Gabriel tried to struggle, but they were strong. Even after months of practice with Barach, he wasn’t strong enough to fight back against three of them. He knew what they were going to do, though he couldn’t believe it. They were going to _spank him._ In the middle of class. With everyone watching.

How fucking humiliating. 

“Don’t struggle,” Lorcas laughed. “You know you deserve this.”

From the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw Lorcas pull his hand back. He shut his eyes tight as the swing down started. He couldn’t bear to watch. 

A sharp smack resounded through the room, but… Gabriel didn’t feel anything. Nothing hit him. He opened his eyes cautiously, and he could see Lorcasiel, appearing kind of stunned, a dainty red hand print on his cheek.

“Lorcasiel, what do you think you’re doing?” demanded a girl, her voice loud and angry. “I was in the bathroom _five minutes_ , and I come back and you’re picking on the little kid?” She turned to the two holding Gabriel down. “Let go of him, right now.”

Surprisingly, they did. Gabriel slid off the table, moving quickly to stand away from the Hunt. He wasn’t hiding behind the girl, she just happened to be the closest person to put between him and them. 

The girl who rescued him had light golden skin and lavender-tipped brown hair. She glared up at Lorcas without fear.

“Sera, we were just playing,” said Lorcasiel, looking almost contrite as he held out his hands toward her.

“That wasn’t playing, Lorcas. You were being cruel. I thought we talked about this?” She put her hands on her hips, the light fabric of her skirts floating around her. “Or was that just more of your lies? Like how you said you didn’t sleep with Ami and Tineliel on your last Hunt?”

Lorcasiel glanced to the two Huntsmen with him. They backed up, offering no help. “Sera, honey, of course I didn’t lie to you. I was just helping the kid. He had a question. Isn’t that right, Gabe?”

Gabriel was rubbing his arms where they’d pinned him to the desk. He glared up at Lorcas, and said, “I am an Ahnnak. You will say my name with respect.”

“You little shit-” Lorcas lunged, but Sera was in his way, shoving him back. 

“Lorcas, I can’t believe you! You’re nothing but a Jinn-taken fiend! I’m not speaking to you again until you apologize.” She spun, her light skirts floating and drifting slowly around her. She touched Gabriel’s shoulder, and said, “Come on, Gabriel. I’ve got something that’ll help with the bruising.”

Gabriel went with her, mostly because of the look of rage that flashed across Lorcasiel’s face when she touched him. He raised a silver eyebrow and smirked back at the older boy, walking away with Sera.

“Sit here,” said the lavender-haired girl, pointing to a pillow at the back of the room where all the girls from the class were gathered in a tight circle, talking and laughing. They paused, looking up at him, their eyes filled with pity and curiosity, but not hate. He’d be safe there, for the moment. With one last glance as Lorcas, standing furious across the room, Gabriel sat.

The girls swarmed him excitedly, their voices overlapping.

“Look at those bruises!”

“Those boys are such bullies!”

“Wow, your hair is so pretty!”

“I’ve got a cream that’ll take those marks right out.”

“Oh, me too.”

“Look at his eyes, Tambri. They’re bluer than yours!”

“Ohhh, he’s so cute, I could just squish him!”

Gabriel felt suffocated. He almost considered returning to Lorcas, but Sera stepped in, waving some of them back. “Give him space, don’t overwhelm him, girls.” She knelt before him, sitting in the middle of the circle, her skirts settling around her softly. All the other feminine eyes watched from behind her, blocking the view of the rest of the room. “Give me your hand,” said Sera.

Feeling entirely out of place, Gabriel held his arm out to her. She scooped something out of a jar at her side and started rubbing it into his skin, covering all the areas where the bruising appearing. It tingled against his skin.

Clicking her tongue, she said, “They were so rough with you. Why didn’t you call for help?”

“We would have stopped it if we knew they were picking on you,” said another girl. 

Gabriel looked between them. He wasn’t quiet sure how to respond. He hadn’t had many friends who were girls. They usually thought he was too violent. 

He decided to be honest. “I didn’t think anyone would help me.”

“Oh my goodness, that’s so sad!” one girl cried, turning to the girl next to her. 

Sera took his other arm and began working the balm into the bruises there, too. “Your name is Gabriel, right?”

He nodded.

“I’m Seraphiel. Everyone just calls me Sera. If you ever need help again, ask us.” She smiled at him. “There. Feel any better?”

Gabriel looked at his arms. His skin felt warm where she had touched him, but the bruises there were getting lighter, rather than darker. “Thank you. That’s much better.” 

“Why were they picking on you?” another girl asked. He shrugged.

Sera tilted her head. “You’re such a quiet boy. It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid of us.”

“I’m not afraid,” he said, looking between them. However, he had never felt more cornered in his life, even when Barach had him facing down both of the charging auroch calves in the corral last weekend. 

A girl sitting at his side reached out and touched his hair. “This silver is so pretty. Oh, and cold! It’s all tangled up.”

He smoothed his hair down self-consciously. “Lorcasiel messed it up when he held me down.” It had probably been tangled before that, but he didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t combed his hair this morning. Or yesterday. Maybe even the day before that. His hair just wasn’t a priority.

“Do you mind?” she asked, picking up his hair again.

He shrugged, not sure what she wanted to do, and she took that as consent. She moved behind him, and started running her fingers through his hair, straightening out the tangles gently. Her touch actually felt kind of nice.

“Ugh, I would kill for hair like this,” she said. 

“Don’t be dramatic, Ori” said another girl. “Your hair is beautiful.”

“But it’s so plain! Here, feel this,” she said, moving over so another girl could fit behind Gabriel. Another pair of hands slid gently into his hair. It felt so good, he didn’t even care.

Sera smiled at Gabriel as he relaxed, letting the girls take turns playing with his silver hair. “You’re a pretty sweet kid. I thought you were really serious, but you’re just shy, aren’t you?”

Gabriel definitely wasn’t shy, but as he looked at Sera, he saw an opportunity. “It was hard joining class in the middle of the year,” he admitted, letting his voice waiver a little, like he had done with the instructor several months ago. 

“Have you made very many friends?”

“No. The other boys… they’ve all been mean to me.”

Sera sighed. “Boys are dumb. Lorcas is my boyfriend, so I know exactly how dumb they can all be. They take their stupid little games so seriously.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry we didn’t try to talk to you sooner. I guess, because you’re an Ahnnak and you’re so young, none of us knew where to start. Or if you would even want to talk to us.”

Gabriel looked down. He hadn’t wanted to talk to the girls in any of the classes, not since he overheard them talking about how cute and little he was. It had been humiliating. But sitting there surrounded by them, with Lorcas fuming across the room, he realized he had been overlooking an important element of his new classes.

_Teenage girls_. 

Most boys were a little scared of them, and those that weren’t desperately wanted their approval. Gabriel already had that, just because he was young. Just because they thought he was cute.

“I was a little scared of you all,” said Gabriel shyly. “Girls in my year aren’t nearly as pretty, and I was afraid you’d think I was just a dumb little kid.”

A collective, “Aww,” went up from the girls. Several of them touched his arm or pet his hair. 

“He’s so sweet!”

“I can’t believe Lorcas was picking on you!”

Sera said, “You aren’t dumb. I’ve seen how hard you study. You almost scored as well as I did.” Her eyes lit up as she had an idea. “Since you don’t have other friends in the AC classes, how about you study with us?”

A few girls murmured their agreement.

“I don’t know,” said Gabriel, looking between them. “I wouldn’t want to bother you.”

“We don’t mind if you come. We meet in the library after class most days,” said Sera, touching his hand. “Maybe you could even teach us a few things.”

“If you come, I’ll bring honey bread,” said the girl who had first touched his hair, leaning around to smile at him.

“I-I guess I could try to make it,” he said, looking between them. They all smiled back at him.

For the rest of the class, Gabriel sat and listened to the girls chatter and gossip, letting them play with his hair. Every once in a while, he caught a glimpse of Lorcasiel standing on the other side of the room, glaring, but the older boy made no move to retrieve Gabriel from his girlfriend’s clutches. 

Gabriel smirked. Maybe next year wouldn’t be so hard after all.


	33. Barachiel: 24th Degree of Wind, 593 DE

Barach stood outside Gabriel’s classroom as all the students filtered out, excited for the last class of the year to be over. He watched Lorcasiel and the other Huntsmen walk by angrily, not bothering to glance Barach’s way. He wondered what had happened to affect the usually cocksure Terran that way.

When Gabriel walked out, looking up and talking to a Terran girl beside him, Barach smirked. His friend’s long hair was braided over one shoulder, a blue ribbon that matched his eyes woven throughout the silver. Gabriel approached him without a hint of embarrassment over his neatly styled hair. 

“Sera, this is Barach, my friend from eighth year,” he said. “Barach has been skipping part of last period to walk with me every day.”

Barach regarded Gabriel a moment. He turned toward the girl. She was very pretty, with long brown hair that faded into lavender spirals. Her eyes matched the ends of her hair. She smiled at him. “You’re such a good friend. I’m so sorry you have had to do this. If I’d know how bad they were treating poor Gabriel, I would have stepped in sooner.”

Raising an eyebrow, Barach looked back at Gabriel. Normally, Gabriel would have gone off on anyone talking that way about him. _Poor Gabriel._ His friend accepted pity with about as much grace as he accepted being punched in the face. 

But Gabriel’s eyes were sharp and alert. Not at all angry. _Plotting._

“I do what I can for my friend,” said Barach calmly. He forced himself to look back at the girl. “It’s been hard knowing no one in his new classes will even talk to him. We miss him.”

Her eyes filled with sympathy. “You’re so sweet. You take such good care of your friend. Well, you don’t need to worry anymore. We’ll watch out for him too. Gabriel is going to be safe with us.” She grinned. “I’ll see you around, boys!” She waved and ran off, her wings lightly fluttering behind her.

They both waved back with awkward little shakes of their hands. When she was out of sight, Barach said, “What was that about?”

“She’s a girl.”

“I know she’s a girl,” he said, turning on his silver-haired friend. “Why are you talking to a girl?”

Gabriel smirked at him. “It turns out, all the girls think I’m cute.”

Barach leaned back from him, appalled by the absurdity of it. “You _hate_ being called cute.”

Nodding, Gabriel said, “I do. But I also hate having to watch my back every day for the Hunt to spring out at me. The instructor left the room today, and Lorcas had me pinned to the table. He ripped out another feather. If Sera hadn’t shown up, he would have…” Gabriel’s lips curled back as he snarled, unable to finish his sentence. _There_ was the friend Barach recognized. 

“So, you let a girl protect you from Lorcas?” he asked.

“She’s his girlfriend. She slapped him, and he did nothing. None of the boys did. It was like they were all afraid of her.”

“That where your new hairstyle came from?” 

Gabriel shrugged. “It’s just hair.”

They started walking back toward their room. “So that’s it, huh? You’re just going to hide behind girls now?”

Sighing heavily, Gabriel said, “I can’t do this by myself, Barach. I need help.”

“I’m helping you.”

“I need help _with class_. They invited me to study with them next year. I’m going to go.” He looked over. “Whether you like it or not.”

Barach shook his head. “You’re an Ahnnak, Gabriel. You shouldn’t be acting like this.”

“Like what?” he demanded.

“Like you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared, Barach,” Gabriel snapped. “I’m not weak, either. I have to pass these classes. As much fun as playing with you at the stables is-”

“Playing?!”

“-I don’t have time to waste. It’s a distraction. I need to focus.”

“I’m helping you get stronger, Gabriel.”

“And I’m grateful for the help, but Barach, I need to study more. I can’t go through another year like this. I just can’t.” 

They walked quietly to the end of the hall. Before they reached the foyer to take off, Barach said, “I didn’t realize the Hunt bothered you that much.”

“It’s not the Hunt,” Gabriel said softly, looking up toward the higher levels of Archridge. “I have to do better.”

Barach saw guilt in Gabriel’s eyes, though he didn’t understand why. He sighed. “Fine. I’ll support you however I can, but I’m not going to let you stop training. You’re going to get stronger, Gabriel, because even the girls won’t be around to protect you all the time.”

Gabriel glared at him. “You’re going to be a jerk about this, aren’t you?”

“If that’s what it takes. Oh, and you’re dealing with Erem on your own. He’s going to flip out if you get a girlfriend.”

Cheeks turning pink, Gabriel said, “It’s not like that. I’m just using them.”

Barach shrugged. “Sure, you say that now, but spending all that time alone with older girls… Things happen.”

“Nothing is going to happen,” Gabriel said, blushing more. He walked quickly toward the edge and dropped down, falling several levels before catching himself on his wings. Barach joined him, and they flew back to their room for the last time during their eighth year. 


	34. Alex: 30th Degree of Wind, 593 DE

The six degree break at the end of the month of Wind was chaotic. All the students got new rooms on new levels, according to their year. Alex was still assigned to Imperial housing, mostly because of the number of accidents he’d had throughout the short time he’d been there. 

Plus, Alex had gone into a panic at the mention of having to share a room every night with two random boys. Headmaster Iscriel quickly decided Imperial housing was the best place for the son of an Isten, at least while he continued to acclimate to being at the Academy.

Even Remiel had to move to a new room, which was why he had dropped Alex off with Gabriel for the day. His brother’s new room was on a higher level than the last, and he still shared with Barach and Erem, though he could have gotten a private room in the advanced curriculum dorms this year. 

“I like having roommates,” Gabriel explained. 

Erem laughed, and said, “You just don’t want to be caught alone with all those older students looking for a chance to kick your ass.” 

Gabriel shoved both Erem and Barach out the door. “Fuck off and let me finish unpacking in peace.”

Even though Alex couldn’t fathom the idea of sharing a room himself, he was glad Gabriel had stayed with his friends. He liked Barach and Erem, even if they didn’t let him touch their things anymore. He didn’t mean to break things, they just sometimes fell apart when he touched them.

“Next year, I’ll take my own room,” said Gabriel as he showed Alex around the new space. “Third year AC students even get their own bath.” 

“You have to share now?” asked Alex. The idea of shared baths made him uncomfortable. 

“Everyone does. Ninth year uses the baths on the level above us. Oh, don’t make that face. It’s not that bad. It’s like swimming, only everyone is naked.”

“That’s the part I don’t like.”

Gabriel ruffled his black hair. “Don’t worry so much, Alex. That’s my job. You’ll be fine.” He smiled. “So, you’re a fifth year student now. How does that feel?”

Alex shrugged. “The same. I’m not changing classes or rooms.”

“Sure, but you’ll get to learn new stuff.” Gabriel picked Alex up and sat him on his high bed. There were two bunks on one side of the room, and one on the other over an inset desk. Gabriel had claimed that one and the desk, while Barach and Erem picked the other two. 

Looking down at his brother from where he was perched on the bed, Alex said, “Everything is new to me. A new year won’t change that.”

Gabriel pulled over a crate and began unpacking it, moving around the room and putting his belongs away. “Sure, but fifth year is when they start letting you play with elements.”

“I don’t want to do that, Brother.”

“It’s not hard, Alex. I can teach you if you have trouble.”

“No thanks,” he said adamantly. He didn’t like seeing his brother use the elements. The look in Gabriel’s blue eyes was too similar to Jequn’s. It made him feel cold inside. 

“You have to try, Alex.” Gabriel looked up at him. “If you improve enough this year, they’ll move you out of the remedial class. You can start normal classes, like you’re supposed to.”

“I don’t mind the remedial class. Uzzi is there.”

Gabriel frowned. “You can make new friends.”

Alex stared at him blankly and said, “I don’t want new friends, Brother.”

Rolling his eyes, Gabriel went back to putting things away. In his portion of the closet, he draped clothes over various racks and hooks. He folded some and sat them on a shelf. A couple pairs of his silk shoes sat on the floor, practically new. None of Alex’s shoes looked that nice, not after the first week of walking around in them. Remiel patched the shoes as best he could, but he said they would need to go up to Marut soon to buy more.

A sparkle in Gabriel’s hand that caught Alex’s eye. “What’s that?” he asked.

“Nothing,” said Gabriel, shoving it beneath his clothes at the back of the closet.

“It looked like a rock.”

Gabriel’s ice blue eyes turned back on him. He sighed and pulled it back out, walking over to lean against the stone wall the high bed was built into. He placed his closed hand on the mattress beside Alex. “Don’t be angry.”

“I won’t,” said Alex, looking down at his brother’s hand. When Gabriel’s fist opened, revealing the sparkling silver and blue stone, Alex recognized it immediately. He slid away from it, moving down to the end of the bed. “You took a rock from my chambers?”

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” said Gabriel, looking guilty. He picked the rock up and held it in his hand, twisting it slowly to watch the way the light reflected off the cut angles. “I took it before I knew what was going on.”

“Why?” asked Alex, regarding the rock with unease. 

One of Gabriel’s wings raised in a half shrug. “I don’t know. I was jealous, I guess. Jequn never brought me any gifts when he went away. I used to think he liked you more than me.”

“That’s not why he brought me things,” Alex said, his voice tight. 

Gabriel looked over at him. He smiled softly, but it was pained. “I know. I was dumb. Erem’s father brings back carved statues all the time. Barach’s mother sends him a package of supplies every month. Clothes, candy, letters. I never got anything. Then I’d go home, and you’d be there, and Father was also so attentive toward you…”

Alex’s chest felt tight. “Throw it away, Brother.”

Gabriel clutched the stone in his hand. “I can’t. Its worth a lot. When I leave here, I can use it to buy property on my own.” He returned it to the closet, hiding it under his clothes. “When I graduate, I can break free of him, and I’ll have my own place. You can come live with me there. It’ll be a nice place in the jungle, and no one will be able to find us, especially not him.”

Alex licked his dry lips. “Can Hadasha come?”

Grinning, Gabriel turned toward him. “Of course Hadasha can come. You just have to promise you won’t let her eat me.”

Smiling a little, Alex said, “She won’t eat you, Brother, as long as you’re nice to her.”

“I’m always nice,” Gabriel announced, reaching up and tickling Alex’s side. Alex squirmed away from him, laughing and hiding beneath one of Gabriel’s blankets. He peeked out, his black eyes barely visible as he watched Gabriel resume unpacking his new room. 

When it got too warm, Alex pulled the blanket off his head. He folded his arms before him, resting his head on them like a pillow. He grew tired watching Gabriel unpack, letting his eyes drift shut for longer and longer. As sleep pulled him down, he saw Gabriel tuck the pieces of a blue, cut ribbon into his closet near the rock, but his sleepy mind didn’t recognize it for what it was. 

Alex fell asleep, blissfully unaware of what else his brother had kept from the manor. 

***

“C’mon, sleepyhead, it’s time for dinner,” came the warm voice of Alex’s tutor, shaking him gently.

Alex rolled over, curling the blankets over his head. “Not hungry,” he muttered, unwilling to wake up.

Remiel poked him harder. “Gabriel is watching. Don’t make this difficult, Alexiel.”

Startled to realize he wasn’t in his own bed, Alex opened his eyes. He sat up quickly, throwing the blanket off him. “I’m up. Sorry. It’s dinner time?”

Gabriel stood across the room, stretching his arms and wings over his head. Everything was unpacked, put away neatly. He groaned, his feathers rustling as his wings settled against his back. “Yes, it’s dinner. Barach and Erem are supposed to meet us down there, so let’s go. I’m starving.”

Scooting to the edge of the bed, Alex hopped down, using his wings to glide and land in the center of the room. He shook them out before folding them lightly against his back. “Ready, Brother.”

Gabriel smiled at him. “Hey, you passed your flight class, right?”

Alex nodded. Remiel said, “He did perfect on the test.” 

“Instructor Dardiel said I might be better than you,” Alex added, smiling up at his brother. 

“Oh she did, did she?” Gabriel laughed. “We’ll have to see about that. Have you flown in the gap?”

“Yes, Brother. We practiced that last month.”

“How about you and I race to dinner, and we’ll see just how good you are.”

Alex’s wings fluttered against his back, eager for the chance to show his brother how much he had learned since coming to the academy. He followed him from the room, Remiel close behind. They reached the the foyer, where the open arches were. It was already night, but the sky above them glowed blue, covered with the sparkling field of stars. Alex spotted the red dot toward the horizon that was Ahn as he stood beside his brother at the edge of the academy. 

“Alright, Alex. Rules are: one lap around the interior, no dives. Falling isn’t considered flying in a race.”

“Got it, Brother, but if I beat you, you have to pick up my dinner for me.”

Gabriel huffed a short laugh, grinning. “Look who learned to fly and got all cocky. Fine. But if I win, you have to give me your rotika.”

“Not my rotika!” 

“Then you better fly fast, little brother,” he said with a grin. Gabriel nodded to Remiel. 

Stepping up beside them, Remiel said, “Ready? Set.” Alex and Gabriel both tensed, wings spread. “Go!”

Alex threw himself off the edge, snapping his wings out, feeling the breeze catch throughout his feathers. The cool night air blew his hair back from his face as he angled around and glided at the edge of the academy. He looked for Gabriel, and found him floating above him. 

Gabriel looked down and waved. He curved around Alex’s side until he flew beneath him. Gabriel twisted in the air, flying upside down so he was facing him.

“Show off,” Alex called, smiling down at his brother.

“I thought you said you were good,” Gabriel replied, grinning. 

“Watch me, Brother,” said Alex, then he flapped his wings three times, shooting forward. His wings were small for his age, but he was light. He moved through the air with ease, though he knew he would tire quickly. When he was in front of his brother, he pulled his wings in tight, spinning in a spiral before snapping his wings back out. He flew sideways, parallel with the edges of the academy. 

It was just like going around the inside of the stones during flight class. Alex kicked off the wall, propelling himself forward faster as his wings kept him in the air. His wings weren’t strong enough on their own, but they didn’t have to be for him to fly fast. 

Behind him, he heard his brother’s surprised laughter, then the rapid flurry of wings as Gabriel attempted to catch up. Alex grinned, feeling happy. He touched the wall briefly and launched himself forward again. 

The waterfall was before them, the halfway point around the interior of the academy. Alex knew better than to fly near the spray that surrounded it. The water was dark at night, but still noisy. He braced himself against the stone wall briefly, legs tensed, then launched straight out, cutting across the academy and over the open pool below. He glided for a moment, but could hear Gabriel close behind him, so he beat his wings faster.

It was over the open pool that Alex realized something was wrong with his wings. They felt heavy and crackled when he flapped, like… like ice.

He glanced over his shoulder to see the edges of his feathers crystallizing with frozen water. They weren’t wet, and it wasn’t cold out. That wasn’t possible. He only had a moment to question it, before he started falling, his wings too heavy to keep him in the air. 

“Alex, no dives!” Gabriel called above him. Alex looked up, reaching for him. 

“Help!” he cried.

Gabriel’s wing snapped in tight against his back and he shot down through the air toward Alex, but he didn’t make it in time. Alex hit the open pool, black water surrounding him. The ice melted from his feathers in the water, but his wings were soaked and weighed him down. He struggled to scream as water invaded his nose and mouth. He gasped for air, and water filled his lungs. His chest stung with pain, but the water wouldn’t leave him.

Alex sunk, feeling the current of the waterfall pulling him back, like a strong breeze would on windy day. He couldn’t move against it. He’d never swam before, and his wings flailed futilely in the water. 

_I don’t want to die_ , Alex thought desperately, reaching for the distant glow of the surface. 

Gabriel plunged into the water, kicking down, his wings propelling him. His hand reached out, grabbing Alex’s wrist, holding him tight. He veered up, dragging the little boy with him, though the current still threatened to suck them both down. 

The world was growing darker, but Alex knew his eyes remained open. He felt lightheaded, dizzy like he did when he wasn’t allowed to breathe for too long. He was going to pass out. He didn’t want that. If he did, he was afraid he would never wake back up.

Alex wrapped his hand around Gabriel’s wrist, and held on with every bit of strength he had left. 

They broke the surface, and Alex found he still couldn’t breathe. Soaking wet, Gabriel dragged him into the shallows, throwing him up onto the shore. He shoved Alex onto his back, and pushed repeatedly on his chest, until, suddenly, all the water burst from his mouth.

Alex rolled to his side, coughing and vomiting up water until no more was in him. He inhaled the cool air, and it burned in his chest and throat, but he couldn’t stop. He needed it too much.

Gabriel sat beside him, breathing hard, his silver hair and wet clothes plastered to his body. “Alex, are you alive?”

“Yes, Brother,” Alex gasped meekly. His throat felt raw. He fell on his back beside Gabriel, laying there and staring up at the stars. They still glittered down at him, detached and uncaring that he had almost drowned. 

“What happened?”

“There was ice on my feathers,” he said softly. “Also… I don’t know how to swim.” 

Gabriel stared down at him with intense blue eyes. Then he exhaled heavily and flopped back on the ground. “ _Fuck,_ ” he declared vehemently.

They lay silently, listening to the alarm and panic rising up around the academy. They heard Remiel’s descent, yelling their names. Before he landed near them, Alex looked at Gabriel and asked, “Brother, since I beat you to the ground, are you still going to take my rotika?”

A hand reached out and patted Alex’s head. “No, Alex,” his brother said, “I’m not going to take your rotika.” 

Then Remiel was there, and shortly after, half the academy. Alex briefly wondered if the Isten Kasdeja would label this a performance, too.


	35. ✶ Year Two - 594 DE

## Sons of E'din: Year Two

### 594th Year of the Dominion of E'din

  
  
  


**Gabriel** : Age 13. Year 9. AC Year 2

**Alex** : Age 9. Year 5 

**Barachiel** : Age 14. Year 9 

**Remiel** : Age 16. Year 12

**Erem** : Age 13. Year 9

**Uzzi** : Age 9. Year 5

**Sophie** : Age 16. Year 12

  
  



	36. Gabriel: 1st Degree of Artisan, 594 DE

Though it wasn’t how Gabriel expected to start his ninth year at Archridge Academy, it could have been worse. Walking through the halls, several students stopped him to commend him on his bravery at diving into the waterfall’s pool to save that drowning child. None of them seemed aware that he had just rescued his little brother, but he didn’t correct them. Alex didn’t need more rumors about him going around the academy. 

In his morning classes, different girls found him and sat with him in each period. They brought him snacks and sweets, so he didn’t complain too much, even though he didn’t think they needed to sit as close as they did. Still, none of the Huntsmen bothered him.

Gabriel’s first class of the day was _Advanced Prophecy: Linguistics and Interpretations from Ancient Ahn_. The instructor for that was a Terran woman with a soft voice. She was hard to hear sometimes, but when she started talking about the old prophecies, her voice rose in pitch, like she was so excited to discuss it that she could hardly contain herself. She covered all the course requirements and expectations, as well as reference materials they would need throughout the year. Gabriel wrote everything she said down, even though most the students just stared with a bored expression. In the past, he probably would have had that same look, but he needed to pass, and all that information would make it easier. 

His next two classes were history and biology, fairly standard and dull, but the lavender-haired Sera was in his biology class. She gave him little sweetened biscuits and sat next to him. Before class started, she shared the details of their library study group. He wrote that down, too, along with all the notes about the classes. 

Sera invited Gabriel to have lunch with her, but as he saw Lorcas strutting up the hall to meet her, he excused himself and walked the other way. He grabbed a few fruit from the dining hall and ate as he walked to his fourth class. The math classroom was locked when he arrived. The instructor was probably out for lunch, too. Gabriel sat by the door and ate while he read over his notes from the morning classes.

A shadow fell over him, and Gabriel glanced up, half expecting to see one of the students looking to torment him. However, it was the instructor, key in hand, moving by to unlock the room. Gabriel frowned as he watched the man push open the door, probably staring longer than was actually polite. He couldn’t help it. The mathematics instructor was a Homm. He’d never been taught by a Homm before, not for a real class.

Gabriel got up, entering the Homm’s classroom almost cautiously. “Instructor? Can I come in?”

The Homm looked back at him, dark brown eyes impassive. There was a shadow of a beard across his cheeks. “Class will not start for another fifteen minutes, young Terran. This is not a place to hang out during lunch.”

“Ahnnak, Instructor. I am the Ahnnak Gabriel, heir to the Isten Jequn,” he replied, quickly correcting the man’s mistake.

“Apologies, Ahnnak Gabriel,” said the Homm, his tone apathetic. He turned his flat, wingless back to the room, his face hidden. “Then by all means, find your seat.”

“I’ll try not to bother you, Instructor,” said Gabriel, slipping into the room and taking a seat along the wall. He finished eating and was going over his earlier notes again by the time the rest of the class began arriving. Another girl sat next to him, surprising him by touching his hair. He turned sharply toward her, but recognized her and relaxed. 

“Oriel, right?” he asked. She’d been the girl that last day of class who constantly played with and styled his hair. She was close friends with Sera.

“Just call me Ori,” she said, grinning. She had straight brown hair cut in a short bob at chin level. Her eyes were a light brown. When she smiled, two dimples appeared in her pink cheeks. She smiled at Gabriel a lot.

“Okay, Ori.”

“Do you mind if I call you Gabe?” she asked hopefully. 

“I don’t mind,” he said, “as long as it’s you.” _Not one of the Huntsmen_ , he thought to himself. 

She beamed at him happily, her cheeks turning a little pinker. Ori ran her fingers through his hair. “Gabe, your hair is so pretty. Can I braid it again?” 

“I think class is about to start,” he said.

“The instructor isn’t even here yet,” said Ori, still touching his hair. 

“He’s… He’s right there,” said Gabriel, frowning.

Ori looked to the front of the room, where the Homm was writing across a slateboard with a piece of chalk. 

_Instructor Tassin. Interplanetary Trigonometry and Algebraic Conversion._

A laugh burst from Ori before she slapped her hands over her mouth. “A Homm?” she hissed low, but not low enough. Gabriel saw the Instructor’s hand hesitate a moment, before he continued writing. “I’ve never had a Homm instructor before.”

Immediately when it was time for class to begin, before all the students had found their seats, the Homm instructor turned around and declared, “I am Instructor Tassin. Take out a strip of parchment. It’s time for a test.”

Gabriel’s stomach sank. He wasn’t ready for a test in math class. One of the boys on the other side of the room raised his hand. “It’s the first day. You haven’t even taught anything.”

Tassin walked over, looking down at the seated Terran boy. “Are you refusing?”

“Well, no, but I didn’t even bring pa-”

“Then that’s a zero on your test. You are currently failing my class, young Terran. Anyone else?” The Homm walked back across the room, looking coldly out at the silent students. “I am here to teach you mathematics. In this class, I do not care what your status is. Terran or Homm, or even Ahnnak,” he said and looked right at Gabriel. “It does not matter. This is my class, and you will do what I say, or you will fail. Now, take out a strip of parchment. We are doing a test to determine your baseline knowledge on the subject matter.”

Everyone who had paper in class tore off a palm width strip of parchment. There were a few whispers around the class, but it was mostly silent except for the sound of tearing paper. 

Beside Gabriel, Ori was biting her lip, looking nervously down at her stuff. Gabriel realized she hadn’t brought any parchment. He slid her his sheet and tore off another strip. She smiled at him gratefully.

Tassin began the test, reading through the questions quickly. Gabriel answered what he could, but most the terminology was beyond him. When they finished, he noticed Ori had as many blanks on her page as he did on his. 

The remainder of the class passed somberly as Tassin covered the standard expectations and requirements for the class. By the time it was over, everyone stumbled out, a little disoriented. Gabriel said goodbye to Ori in the hall and hurried to his last class.

The final class for the day was a science class, which was taught by a Terran, however the Isten Kasdeja was present. Gabriel bowed respectfully to her.

“How is your sibling, Ahnnak Gabriel?” she asked, tilting her head on a neck that seemed just slightly too long.

“He needs to learn how to swim, but he is well, Isten,” Gabriel replied. “He is recovering in his room today.”

“An academy education is not a thing to take lightly. A day missed for any reason is an opportunity lost,” said the Isten.

“Yes, Isten.” He bowed to her again, and quickly found his seat. 

The Isten Kasdeja was very tall, even for an Isten. She didn’t have any hair on her head, and could twist her long neck around completely without pain. She was a strange woman, and Gabriel wasn’t sure if she had a sense of humor, but she was very good at explaining difficult topics involving matter conversion and molecular manipulation. Gabriel appreciated that she would be teaching the class part of the time.

The regular Terran instructor was there, though she stood aside while the Isten discussed expectations for the class. Like most Isten at the academy, Kasdeja did not teach daily. She had duties around E’din which occupied a large part of her time. The Terran instructor would take over when she was unavailable.

The only Isten who taught a regular class was Elohim. Gabriel liked the Isten Elohim, mostly because his father, Jequn, disagreed with him about almost everything, and anyone who could stand opposed to Jequn was an admirable person, as far as he was concerned. 

Gabriel wasn’t sure where Kasdeja stood with Jequn. He was certain she knew him. All the Isten knew one another. They had worked together on Ter since before the boundaries of E’din were formed to make it habitable for the colonists. They were the leaders of E’din, guiding the planet toward a future where Ahn could descend, providing safe habitation for millions of people.

However, there were only forty-eight Isten remaining on Ter, out of the original sixty to leave Ahn. Most of those lost were killed during the early years of the settlement, or during the war with the Jinn. Those that remained mourned the passing of their peers, whether they got along or not, because a loss of even one immortal Isten was a blow to all of E’din and Ahn. Each Isten had skills and knowledge that were simply irreplaceable.

When that final class ended, Gabriel paid his respects to the Isten Kasdeja again, and met Barach in the hall. 

“How are your classes?” his friend asked. “Any trouble with the Hunt?”

“They left me alone,” said Gabriel. They walked down the twisting hallways that led toward the foyer and the gap. “A lot of girls talked to me today. I think the Hunt kept their distance because of that.”

“And Lorcas?”

“No classes with him this year.”

“Thank the Isten for that,” Barach proclaimed in relief. “You going to see your brother before dinner?”

“Just real quick. He was doing well this morning when I stopped by, but I want to see if he got his wings preened today.”

“Want me to come with you?”

“No,” he said. “I’ll be back before dinner.” 

“Alright, Gabe. Watch your back.”

Gabriel bumped fists with his friend when they reached the open arches, then took off up toward Alex’s room while Barach went down to their dorm. He flew by the treacherous waterfall, and tried not to think about what could have happened if he hadn’t been there to save his little brother. 

He walked the familiar path to Imperial housing to find Alex in his room, lazing on his bed, kicking his feet in the air. 

“Where’s Remi?” asked Gabriel.

“He went to find Sophie.” Alex sat up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. 

“He shouldn’t have left you alone to go see his girlfriend.” Gabriel walked over and sat beside his brother on the bed. “Did you preen today like I told you?”

Alex looked up at him, his black eyes calm and sleepy. “I tried, Brother.”

“Let me see.” Alex turned around for him and Gabriel began fixing all the feathers the little boy had missed. Being fully immersed in the water while thrashing about had twisted a lot of his feathers around. If Alex was strong enough to fly with the added weight of the oil on his wings, the quills and barbs probably wouldn’t have been as messed up, but Alex was still weak enough that flying on his own was difficult. He didn’t need the added weight.

It had been startling to see how fast the little boy could move, though. Alex was adapting to his limitations in peculiar ways, and if he had not fallen, he might have beaten Gabriel in the race. Maybe. Gabriel had a few tricks up his sleeve, though icing his brothers feathers wasn’t one of them.

A shiver raced through Alex’s body, making his wings puff out for a moment. He looked back over his shoulder. “Brother?”

“Yes, Alex?”

“Thank you for saving me.”

Gabriel’s heart ached. “I’ll always save you.” He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Alex’s black hair. He breathed in the familiar scent of his little brother and tried not to think how he’d almost lost him. “I’m doing everything I can to protect you, Alex.”

“I don’t like it when you’re sad,” the boy whispered.

“I’m not sad,” said Gabriel, though he felt a tear drip from his eye. He sniffled and sat back, wiping his face with his palm. “I’m just tired. Don’t worry about me. Classes were long today. You know I’ve got a Homm teacher this year?”

“Is that weird?”

“It’s uncommon. There’s a few of them, but they’re usually in the primary years, teaching basics. I never expected to see one in the advanced classes. He teaches math, and he seems to know what he’s talking about, but he’s kind of a jerk.”

Gabriel resumed preening Alex’s wings. The little boy had already done a lot of the work, and it didn’t take much longer. “There. I’m finished.”

“Thank you, Brother,” said Alex with a yawn. He blinked a few times, like he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

“Did you sleep at all today?”

“No. I worked on my wings. Then the medic came by. Then lunch, and the Headmaster. Then I tried to preen more.” 

Sighing, Gabriel said, “You should rest. Medic Haniel kept you late last night. You’ve barely slept at all.”

“Will you stay with me, Brother?”

“Stay with you?”

“Just for a little while. I know you’re busy, but maybe… just until Remiel gets back?”

Looking into Alex’s black eyes as the boy tilted his head back, Gabriel couldn’t say no. “Fine, I’ll stay, but only until Remi gets back, and you need to rest.” He slid back so he could lean against the wall at the head of the bed, then opened his arms. His little brother crawled over to him and curled against his side, placing his head on Gabriel’s chest. His little wings fluttered against his back, then settled comfortably as he closed his eyes. 

It was times like this, when the little boy was sleepy and relaxed, that he didn’t mind being held. He didn’t fidget or tense up. He just lay calmly against Gabriel. Soon, his breathing slowed and he fell into a peaceful and exhausted sleep.

Gabriel didn’t mind the quiet. This was the only time he ever really had where he didn’t have to do anything. No studying, no fighting, no expectations, just sitting with Alex, letting the strands of his black hair slide through his fingers like silk. He would have been happy to stay there for hours, but he knew he couldn’t.

As soon as Remiel and Sophie arrived, Gabriel nudged Alex awake. “I’ve got to go,” he told his little brother. Alex nodded and snuggled into the warm spot Gabriel left when he got up. He quickly fell back asleep. 

“Sorry,” Remiel blurted as Gabriel approached him. The older boy flinched back like he was expecting to be hit. Gabriel wanted to hit him just for that reaction. Would Remiel cower from someone if they went after Alex, too? 

In a hushed voice, Gabriel said, “You shouldn’t have left him alone.”

“I was just meeting with Sophie to collect the coursework I missed today. We were coming right back,” the older Ahnnak said.

“She couldn’t have brought it here on her own?”

Sophie’s wings puffed. “What is your problem?” she asked, her voice unnecessarily loud. “Remi spent the whole day with Alex. He deserves to have a moment to himself.”

After glancing toward Alex to make sure he was still asleep, Gabriel glared at Sophie. “You mean a moment with you. Did you two stop to make out in the hallway, or has that hickey always been there?”

Remiel slapped his hand over his neck, immediately looking guilty. Sophie clenched her hands into fists. “What we do is none of your business,” she asserted. “You’re just a little kid.” 

Ignoring her, Gabriel turned to Remiel. “Don’t let it happen again. Do your job, Remiel, or I’ll get the headmaster to replace you.”

“Yeah, Gabriel. I got it,” he muttered.

Sophie looked like she wanted to say more, but Gabriel wasn’t about to stand there and listen to some random Terran girl. He checked on Alex one more time, then left, heading back to his room to meet with his friends for dinner.

***

After dinner with Barach and Erem, Gabriel went to the library to meet the study group. Ori was already there, and she grabbed his arm and pulled him over to sit on the bench next to her at the large table. 

“We’ve got honey bread, sugared figs, and grapes,” she said happily, pointing to the food in the center of the table. 

“You’re allowed to have food in the library?” he asked, looking around for the iron-willed librarian, who had kicked him out on numerous occasions in the past. 

“We’ve got this alcove reserved. None of the librarians mind, because we take advanced curriculum classes and we don’t cause trouble. That means you have to behave, Gabe.” She giggled and gave his shoulder a playful push. “Not that I think you would ever cause trouble.”

“Never,” he said, and was astonished that she smiled like she believed him. It was a joke. Ori was supposed to laugh, but she seemed to honestly think he wouldn’t cause trouble. It was startling that someone could see him so different than how he actually was, but he realized it could also be incredibly useful.

“This is Dahli, Tambri, Ilac, Juniel and Joniel, Bets, Lavela, and Po,” said Ori.

“Do any of you mind if I call you by your informal names?” Gabriel asked politely as he took his seat. 

“We’re all friends here,” said one of the twins, either Juniel or Joniel, he wasn’t sure which. They looked exactly alike. “If you’re okay with it, so are we.”

The other twin said, “But since you’re Ahnnak, don’t think I’m being distant if I keep calling you Gabriel. It just feels weird to be that informal with someone like you.”

“I don’t mind either way,” he said. “Will Sera be here, too?”

“Sera has a boyfriend in the Hunt,” said Lavela. “She has dinner with him after he gets done with practice, and sometimes they run late.”

Bets giggled and said, “It’s not just dinner that makes them late some nights.”

Tambri, a girl with blue eyes a little darker than Gabriel’s own, smacked the other girl’s arm and said, “Bets, be nice! There’s a boy here now.”

Rubbing her arm, Bets said, “Oh, is it some kind of secret? Do you think he made it into the advanced classes without knowing people have sex? Am I somehow going to corrupt the poor boy?”

“That’s not what I mean,” said Tambri. 

Trying to pass it off as a casual question, Gabriel said, “So then, does Lorcasiel come here, too?” 

If so, studying in the library with them might not work out after all.

“No way,” said Po, a girl with thick, curly black hair done up in two puffs on top of her head. “I don’t think he ever studies.”

“It’s just practice, practice, practice. He’s so single minded,” scoffed Lavela.

Dahli licked her lips, and said, “But have you seen his body? With all that practice, he’s more muscular than a Homm. If I was dating someone like that, I’d probably be late coming here after dinner, too.”

The girls laughed, many of them making comments in agreement. Gabriel felt his cheeks flush. He’d never heard girls talk that way before. In his mind, he had always seen them as demure and gentle, but then again, he’d never really made an effort to hang out with them before. Barach and Erem had always been around, and they were both Ahnnak, like him. The three of them didn’t need anyone else. Maybe, if there had been an Ahnnak girl in his year, it would have been different.

They set about to studying, and though the girls continued to talk, Gabriel was amazed at how much work he got done. If he had trouble understanding something, he could just ask, and one of the girls would explain it. Listening to their discussions about the subject matter really helped it all make sense. 

By the time Sera arrived, all Gabriel had left was the prophecy and mathematics work. She sat down at an empty bench across the table and gave Gabriel a bright smile. “You came! I’m so glad. How’s it been going so far?”

“It’s great. Much better than studying alone in my room,” said Gabriel.

“I would go crazy if I tried to do that,” said Sera, laughing. “There’s no way. The instructors give us so much work, it’d would be impossible to keep up with it all alone.”

“It was really hard,” he admitted.

“I’m amazed you kept up as well as you did,” she said. “But you’ve got us now.”

“Yes,” said Ori, “All of us.” She touched his arm, letting her fingers linger against his skin. 

“So?” asked Bets, smiling at Sera. “How was _dinner_?” She said the word just dripping with innuendo.

“Oh, hush. It wasn’t like that,” Sera replied, grinning. “I’m still upset with how he was acting before the end of the year. He hasn’t done enough apologizing yet.”

“Then why were you late?” asked one of the twins. 

Sera licked the corners of her mouth. “Okay, so it wasn’t _exactly_ like that.” The table of girls laughed again. When they had calmed down a little, Sera looked at Gabriel and said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, Gabriel, we’re not usually like this.”

“She’s lying, we’re totally like this all the time,” said the other twin.

“I don’t mean to embarrass you,” Sera told him. 

“I’m not embarrassed,” he mumbled, looking down at his math book. His face felt hot all the way to his ears. 

“He’s blushing,” one of them squealed. “Oh, gosh, Sera, he’s so innocent and cute! I bet he’s a virgin.”

“Ilac! Stop it. He’s just a little kid.” 

“What? He’s like twelve? Thirteen? I had sex at that age.” 

“Not everyone matures as fast as you did.” 

“So, are you?” Ilac asked, turning to Gabriel and ignoring Sera’s eye roll. 

“Am I…?” 

“A virgin.”

He didn’t think his face could get any hotter, but somehow it did. “Y-Yeah.”

“I could help you with that little problem,” said the girl with a wink.

Ori stood up, wings snapping out. “Ilac, stop acting like a slut! Leave him alone!” 

Ilac leaned back, spreading her wings behind her. “You’re just jealous nobody likes you, Ori.” 

“Alright, that’s enough, girls,” said Sera, flipping open her book. “We’ve got a couple hours before curfew, and I need help understanding that nonsense the prophecy instructor is trying to teach.” 

Ori huffed, her wings fluttering against her back. “I’m done. I’m leaving. See you tomorrow in math, Gabe.” She picked up her books and stormed off, giving Ilac a dirty look as she walked behind her. 

After Ori left, Sera kept the rest of the conversation purely on their studies. That was good, because Gabriel wasn’t sure how much more of the girls’ curiosity he could have taken. None of them were anything like he expected them to be. 

When the library closed, everyone said goodbye and returned to their rooms. Gabriel realized that despite how talkative the girls were, and how often they got off topic, they had covered a lot of information. He’d gotten at least twice as much work completed as he would have alone, but it didn’t feel like it had taken nearly as much effort. 

Exhausted from the long day, Gabriel returned to his dorm. He found his friends lounging in the pit. Barach was reading a small book by candlelight, while Erem lay against his chest, already asleep. The blue-skinned boy always tended to get clingy when he slept. Gabriel couldn’t count the number of times he had woken up with Erem draped across him. 

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Gabriel whispered, motioning to Erem’s sleeping form. “He’ll drool.”

“He’s fine,” said Barach, speaking low. “How was your study group?”

Gabriel exhaled heavily. “Girls are weird. At least against Lorcas and the Hunt, I know what to expect. What are you reading?”

“My mother sent it to me. It’s a story from Ahn she found in her library. I think it’s made up.”

“Made up?” he asked, peering at the small book curiously. “Like fiction? From Ahn?”

Barach nodded. “It’s a story about explorers in a purple rainforest with a red winged stone beast chasing them. It’s pretty interesting.”

“I didn’t know the Isten brought any fiction from Ahn. I thought all the books and scrolls were about laws, medicine, and science, stuff to get the colony going.” Gabriel pulled off his shirt, tossing it into the corner to be washed later. “Are you going to stay up reading for a while?”

“Yeah. Just a little more.”

“You want help moving Erem?”

“I’ll move him when I go to bed,” said Barach. 

Gabriel shrugged and pulled himself up into bed. He flopped down on his stomach, folding his wings to keep his back warm. “Night, Barach,” he said with a yawn. “Don’t complain if he drools on you.”

“Goodnight, Gabe,” said Barach, turning the page. Gabriel was asleep before the next page turned.


	37. Alex: 2nd Degree of Artisan, 594 DE

A day of rest after nearly drowning, and Alex was allowed to begin the fifth year classes. Remiel took him up to the flight class in the morning, but they didn’t join the little kids at the stones. They went to the jutting edge on the other side of the river, where a few dozen children Alex’s age were gathered. It was a combined class of all the fifth year students. Uzzi spotted him as soon as he neared and ran over.

“Alex! You’re here! I was afraid they put you in a different morning class again.” Uzzi held his closed fist before Alex and they bumped knuckles.

“No, since fifth year is a flight class, Headmaster Iscriel felt it would be best if I joined in.” Alex looked around, not really comfortable being near so many other kids. They looked at him strangely, like they knew he didn’t belong there.

“I’m glad,” said Uzzi, grinning broadly. “Last year was so boring. We didn’t get to do flying, we had to do agriculture. They made us plant and harvest stupid rice and beans. I hated it, but if you had been there, it might have been fun.”

Beside Alex, Remiel said, “I’m going to talk to the instructor and let her know you’re here. Will you be okay?”

“I’m fine, Remiel,” said Alex, looking up at his tutor. “You don’t need to stay.”

“Are you sure? Because I can skip class. I’ve already got approval.”

Alex looked at Uzzi then back at Remiel. “I’m sure.” With Uzzi there, it wasn’t so scary being left alone.

Remiel smiled at him and walked off, finding Instructor Dardiel at the edge of the cliff. They talked a moment before Remiel waved goodbye, and flew down to his classes in the Academy. 

Uzzi bounced beside Alex. “This is going to be great,” he said. “We get to learn formations and flight patterns just like the military uses.”

“That’s a good thing?” asked Alex, watching his friend.

“Of course! It’s the most efficient way to fly. My uncle told me so, and he knows, because he’s been in the military for twenty-five years. Maybe we’ll learn attack moves, like they use when fighting the Jinn. Oh! Maybe they’ll even let us practice air battles with swords and spears!” Uzzi was practically glowing with excitement. 

Alex bit his lip and looked toward the edge of the cliff where Dardiel stood talking to another tall Terran. “I don’t want to fight,” he said.

“It’s just a game, Alex. No one actually gets hurt.” Uzzi paused and looked at him, tilting his head. “Well, they’re not supposed to. Maybe if we do get to have mock battles, you should just sit out.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” said Alex.

Dardiel cleared her throat then projected her voice across the field so all the gathered children could hear her. Everyone quieted. “Good morning, fifth year. Today I will be dividing you into groups, based on your performance yesterday. Let’s begin with forms again. Instructor Marliel will lead. Follow along with him while I come around and give you your assignment.”

The forms were the same exercises and stretches Alex learned in the beginning flight class. He stood beside Uzzi as they copied the moves, shifting through the poses with Marliel. “I thought Dardiel taught the beginning class,” Alex whispered.

“She does. And this one,” said Uzzi, snapping the shapes in the forms a little more aggressively than necessary. “Marliel and Simiel are her assistants, so she can jump back and forth between the classes, helping out with whichever group needs her more.”

Dardiel walked up behind them. “Don’t talk. Run the forms quietly, boys. Alexiel, I’m placing you and Uzziel in the same group. Don’t think that means you’ll get to play the whole time. Squad Veh.” She continued on.

Alex watched her go by, talking to the other children as well, dividing them up. When she was far enough away that he didn’t think she could hear him, he said, “Squad Veh?”

“It’s our group,” said Uzzi, grinning. “It means we get to stay together the whole class.”

That was probably what Remiel had talked to the instructor about. If Alex had known he was at risk of being separated from Uzzi, he wouldn’t have been so eager to have Remiel leave.

They finished the forms, and went to their designated gathering areas. Alex recognized one of the girls from the remedial class. Her name was Maciel. The other two girls were unfamiliar. 

“Mace, what is up?” Uzzi said, slapping hands with the girl in a complicated pattern that they both did with ease.

The girl grinned at Uzzi. “You better not slow me down, firestarter.” 

“You couldn’t keep up with me on your best day,” he replied.

“What about him?” Mace asked, tilting her chin up at Alex. “Can he even fly?

“He’s with me, so don’t worry about it,” said Uzzi, throwing his arm over Alex’s shoulders and pulling him close.

Alex’s wings tensed. He ducked out from under Uzzi’s arm and stepped away from his friend, glaring at him. “I can fly just fine,” he said, irritated by the contact. It was like Uzzi was trying to show off around the other kids. 

Another boy walked over to their group. He snorted when he looked at them all. “Great. Half the team is rejects.”

“Hey! Say that to my face!” Uzzi yelled, launching himself at the boy. Mace grabbed him and held him back. 

The boy rolled his eyes. “We’re all going to fail,” he said to one of the other girls. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, apparently disgusted to be anywhere near any of them. 

The other girl sighed loudly and said, “Shut up, Isa. Nobody is happy about their squads. That’s the point.”

“It’s stupid,” the boy responded. “How am I expected to fly in formation with any of you?”

“You could just fall,” hollered Uzzi, glaring at him. Smoke curled from the corner of his mouth.

Before they could actually start to fight, Dardiel clapped her hands together and got everyone’s attention. “You’ve all been divided into squadrons, six members on a team. This is who you will learn to fly with for the next year. Passing will be determined by how well you work together.” 

There were a few grumbles, including from Isa and Uzzi. Dardiel swept her hand through the air, silencing them. “Enough. Today, you’ll work on the standard point formation. Get to work.”

While the children all tried to fly together, Dardiel and Marliel flew between the groups, offering critique and corrections. Alex’s squad barely made it off the ground before Uzzi and Isa started arguing about who would lead point. Phrasa, the girl who had been disgusted about being near them, flew past, taking point while the boys argued. Everyone fell in line behind her, though they definitely didn’t maintain the ‘V’ shape Dardiel expected.

By the time Dardiel called for a break, Alex was extremely tired. He slumped on the ground breathlessly, his wings aching. He could fly fast for short periods of time, but not far. His wings weren’t big enough to do the endurance flying necessary to keep pace with everyone else.

“Is he going to die?” the loud girl, Nenghi, asked. 

“He’s not going to die,” said Uzzi, glaring at her.

“You said he wouldn’t slow us down,” said Mace.

“He’s not. You just don’t know how to fly in formation right,” replied Uzzi angrily, turning to argue with her. “If you weren’t trying to fly off so fast, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Alex covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to hear them argue anymore.

He felt someone sit next to him. He peeked through his black hair, expecting to see Uzzi, but it was Phrasa. She motioned at him, making shapes with her hands. 

Isa crouched in front of him. “She’s asking if you’re okay.”

Alex raised his head, looking between the two of them. “I just need a moment to breathe.” 

Phrasa moved her hands again. He realized she was making intentional shapes. 

“She’s asking why you’re such a runt,” said Isa. Phrasa glared at him and made quick sharp moves with her hands. “Okay, okay, no. She actually asked if you were old enough to be in this class, but it’s the same thing.” Isa scowled back at her, making the shapes with his hands as he spoke. “It’s the same thing, Phrasa, stop yelling at me!”

Alex watched Phrasa’s hands move. He watched her face. There was as much expression in her eyes as in her hands. She had asked nicely. She was concerned about him.

Uzzi walked over, a little calmer now. He flopped on the grass on the other side of Alex. “Alex is our age. He only started class last year. He’s new.”

“New?” asked Nenghi. “In fifth year?”

“He was really sick,” said Mace. “He’s in our class, but Fuzzi says we’re not allowed to touch him. I think he’s contagious still.”

“He’s not contagious,” said Uzzi, glaring up at her. Then he glanced at Alex. “Right?”

“I’m not contagious,” he confirmed. He’d never been contagious, and he’d never been sick. At least, not the way they were thinking. “But it’s true that I don’t like being touched.”

“At all?” asked Isa. 

“Not even by me, and I’m his best friend,” said Uzzi. 

Phrasa spoke with her hands again. Isa translated. “‘I thought it was strange I hadn’t seen you around before. Are you strong enough to fly?’” Isa scoffed. “Look at him. His wings are almost half the size of mine. Of course he’s not strong enough to fly. We’re screwed. We’re all going to fail this class.”

Alex chewed his lip. He didn’t want to be the reason everyone else failed. He felt tears bead at the corners of his eyes, and he lowered his head, hiding his face against his knees. 

Instructor Dardiel floated up to the group and landed beside Uzzi. “Is there a problem here?” she asked. 

“No, Instructor,” said Nenghi. “He’s just tired. Flying like that was a lot harder than I think any of us expected it to be.”

Dardiel nodded. “Squad Veh definitely has room for the most improvement. Nenghiel, you’re still favoring your right side too much. That means you’re creating an uneven current for your allies to coast on. Find your balance, even out, and you can take some strain off your team.”

“Yes, Instructor,” said Nenghi somberly.

“Uzziel, you are too hot headed. You let your emotions carry you away. You need to calm down,” said Dardiel.

Uzzi scowled, but said, “I’ll try, Instructor Dardiel.” 

“Isaiel, you could make a great leader, if you focused more on your own shortcomings, rather than everyone else’s. Your wing beats are still out of sync. Flap together, and don’t over correct.”

Isa blushed, embarrassed by the criticism. He looked down and muttered, “Yes, Instructor.”

“Maciel, force is not everything. If you set a pace your team cannot maintain, you are sabotaging them all. You need to be more compassionate.”

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Mace said, “Understood. I’ll try, Instructor.”

When Dardiel got to Phrasa, she spoke, but also used her hands, matching her words to the shapes. “Phrasaiel, you are an excellent flier, but communication is key with your squadron. If you cannot declare changes in direction and altitude, you cannot lead.” Phrasa signed back, and Dardiel said, “No, it is not about speaking. There are several stealth squadrons in the military who sign exclusively during missions to maintain secrecy. It is about communication. If you are going to be on point, you must make sure your squad understands you.”

Phrasa nodded and made the signs Alex interpreted to mean, _Yes, Instructor._

He peeked up through his black hair, finding Instructor Dardiel’s eyes on him. He was the only one left. He knew what he’d done wrong. He waited for her critique. 

“You have done well today, Ahnnak Alexiel,” she said. “You will get stronger, but you must trust your squad. Be honest with them about your limitations.”

“Yes, Instructor Dardiel,” he replied quietly. 

“Marliel will be watching you all for the second half. I expect you all to behave and work together.” Dardiel floated off to the next group to appraise and critique them.

Isa, Phrasa, and Nenghi stared at Alex in shocked silence for a couple moments after Dardiel left. Nenghi was the one who broke the quiet. “ _You’re an Ahnnak_?!” she exclaimed.

Alex knew what he was supposed to say. _Yes_. That’s what Gabriel told him. Even though Jequn wasn’t his real father, he was supposed to pretend that he was. Descendants of the Isten were Ahnnak, but Alex was not a descendant. He didn’t know who his father was, but the more he learned about the world, the more he realized his father was probably just some random Terran. Which meant Alex was nothing more than a Terran, and absolutely did not deserve the awestruck looks the other kids gave him.

In Alex’s hesitation, Uzzi proudly said, “Yep, he’s an Ahnnak. Pretty cool, huh?”

“But you’re so weak,” said Isa. “And tiny.”

“You’re weak and tiny,” Uzzi snapped back, a flicker of flame at the tip of his tongue.

“And you’re dumb,” said Isa, glaring Uzzi down. “You’re not allowed to use fire outside of class.”

Mace chuckled. “He’s not allowed to use it in class either.” 

Uzzi sneered at her, then tilted his head back and swallowed hard. He exhaled a puff of smoke. “I can’t help it. Being around jerks like you always makes it hard to control.”

Phrasa tapped Isa’s leg and got his attention. He watched her hands, scowling. “I’m not fighting,” he replied. “Fine. Phrasa says she wants to work on signs with everyone, and she doesn’t want anyone to argue anymore.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Nenghi, sitting beside Uzzi in the grass.

Mace shrugged, her big wings spreading behind her. “But I don’t know any signs.”

“Signing isn’t hard,” said Nenghi. “Most of us in Phrasa’s classes picked it up. I. Am. Not. Fast.” She slowly made the signs for the four words. “But I can understand most of it.” 

“I guess I can try.” Mace sat down between Nenghi and Isa, completing the circle.

Uzzi sat up straight, looking over at Phrasa. “So why can’t you talk?”

“‘I was born without a voice,’” said Isa, watching Phrasa’s hands. “‘There’s nothing wrong with me, so there’s nothing for the healers to fix. I just can’t make-’” Isa stopped and exclaimed, “Hey! Don’t use my name for ‘noise’!”

Phrasa smiled and laughed silently.

Isa scowled at her. “I’m not going to translate to the rejects if you keep making fun of me.” He realized what he had said and his wings snapped out behind him. His gaze shifted to Alex. “N-Not that I think you’re a reject, Ahnnak. Don’t tell your Isten I said that.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” said Alex. He readjusted so he was sitting cross-legged, rather than with his knees pressed to his chest. He felt like he could breathe easier now. 

“It’s not his father you need to watch out for,” said Uzzi. “It’s his older brother.”

Alex nodded. That was probably true, at least at Archridge. The few times Uzzi had met Gabriel, his brother had been incredibly cold and distant toward his friend, even though Uzzi had been nothing but polite, if a little energetic. 

“Well, please don’t tell him, either,” said Isa. “I like my wings right where they are.”

Phrasa clapped twice to get everyone’s attention. She started signing and Isa said, “‘The first thing we will do is learn our names. My name is signed-” Isa paused watching Phrasa as she made the sign for her name. He said, “It’s the same sign as rainbow.” She nodded.

Nenghi grinned. “Show them my name.” Phrasa held her hand up, opening and closing it like a wide mouth. “It means big-mouthed frog,” said Nenghi as she laughed. She signed her name by her face, opening her hand along with her mouth. 

“It’s cause you’re so loud,” said Isa. “Mine means axe.” He made the sign, chopping his hand down, tapping it against his other hand. “My family are all foresters.”

“You got that name because you’re such a tool and always so quick to cut people down when they’re happy,” said Nenghi. 

Isa glared at her. “That is not how I got that name.” 

Phrasa tilted her hand in the air and made a face, a clear indication that it was kind of how he got that name.

Uzzi leaned forward excitedly. “So what’s my name?”

“You don’t have one yet, dummy,” said Isa. “Though we could probably just call you that. Dummy.”

Mace tilted her head. “Something with fire would be very fitting for Uzzi.”

Smiling, Phrasa nodded at her. She held up one finger, then made a rising flame motion with her other hand. She held up a second finger, and reached up like she was grabbing the sun from the sky. 

“The first one,” said Uzzi, bouncing. “I like the first one.”

“I still think ‘dummy’ would have been better,” Isa grumbled. 

“How about Alex?” asked Uzzi. “What can his name be?”

“King?” suggested Isa, making the sign for it. “Prince?”

Alex shook his head. “Please don’t. I don’t want to be called that.”

“But that’s basically what you are,” the boy responded. 

Mace looked a little nervous, but she said, “What about ‘new moon’? Your hair is so black, it always reminds me of the night sky when the moon is hidden.”

“Oh, that’s pretty! I like that idea,” said Nenghi. 

Uzzi nodded. “It’s very fitting.”

Phrasa made the sign for ‘new moon’ then pointed at Alex. She smiled at him. It appeared like they had decided, and he had a new nickname.

Isa shrugged. “I guess it’ll work. What about her? How about ‘rock’?” Phrasa waved the suggestion away. She pointed at Mace, then made a sign that was very delicate. “Blooming flower?” Isa questioned.

“That doesn’t fit me at all,” said Mace. “No one thinks I’m a flower. Alexiel is more of a blooming flower than I am.”

His cheeks flushed and he looked down, hiding behind his black hair. Uzzi grinned beside him. “That’s totally true.”

Phrasa started signing again, but Isa exclaimed, “I’m not saying that!” She gave him a dirty look, then turned to Nenghi, signing slower. 

Nenghi watched her carefully, and said, “‘The name fits Mace because… even though she looks tough… There’s a… There’s a gentle flower waiting to bloom in her soul.’ Awww, Phrasa, that’s so sweet!” 

Mace blushed then, too. “I-I don’t care what you call me. It’s fine, I guess.”

With their names figured out, they sat on the grass for the remainder of the morning, talking and practicing the new signs. Alex felt that maybe flying with them for the year wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	38. Remiel:  27th Degree of Artisan, 594 DE

If there were such things as lucky charms, they clearly didn’t work. Remiel had hoped the new year would give his young charge a fresh start, free of all the perils of the last few months. He should have known better after watching Gabriel and Alex race. 

Seeing them both plummet toward the water at the end of the year had nearly stopped his heart. That pool didn’t form a river out of Archridge Academy, despite the constant flow of water over the falls. It flowed back beneath the ridge, deep into an underground river beneath the stone. Children who drowned in the pool were rarely found again. 

If Gabriel hadn’t been able to pull his little brother from that dark water, Remiel didn’t know what he would have done. He didn’t know if he was brave enough to dive in himself to attempt to rescue either of those children. He was glad he hadn’t had to find out.

Despite that incident, the new classes started off well. Alex was progressing in his flight class, and was getting stronger. He had trouble keeping up with his peers, but they made plenty of allowances for him. A few times, Remiel had gone up to get him and found him sitting alone at the edge of the field while his squad flew drills in the air. 

“They’re arguing too much today,” Alex said once, motioning to the squabbling children above them. 

Remiel sat beside him. “It’s good practice to learn how to argue with people other than me.”

“I argue with Uzzi.”

“When you’re alone with him.”

“He’s different around the other kids. Louder. He touches me more, even though he knows I don’t like it.”

“Oh?” Remiel gazed up at the squad as they executed a very poor turn, swinging too wide and breaking formation. The children started yelling at each other again. “Do you think he’s jealous?”

“Jealous?”

“Like he’s afraid you’ll make friends with someone else, and not like him anymore.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” insisted the black-haired boy. “Uzzi is my best friend.”

“But does he know that?”

“I don’t know…” Alex sat quietly, lost in thought for the remainder of class. 

They made it to the end of the month before Alex started having accidents again. It was always little things at first. Tripping on a step. Something falling on him. Getting tiny cuts on his arms or hands. Nearly being stung by something poisonous. 

Most of the time, Remiel could catch Alex or pull him back to prevent him from being seriously injured, but it was an endless task. No matter how diligent Remiel was, Alex still got hurt. 

After a major incident, the child’s stint of bad luck would fortunately lessen, giving Remiel a chance to breathe and Alex a chance to recover. 

Remiel did not know why Alex consistently had such terrible luck. It was like danger was drawn to the boy. Sophie often came over with Remiel in the evenings, and would sit and heal all the little injuries Alex sustained throughout the day. She said she didn’t mind, and that the practice was good for her, but it made her tired. At least Alex didn’t put up such a fight when Sophie healed him. He hated going to the medic’s office.

Sometimes it was unavoidable, though. 

Alex was currently recovering from a hyperextended knee. He landed wrong during flight class, stepped in a hole hidden in the grass, and snapped his knee back forty-five degrees in the wrong direction. The black-haired child handled it calmly, as he usually did, though his squad had gone into a shrieking panic.

Isten Kasdeja had been in the medic’s room again when Alex was brought in for treatment. Remiel didn’t know why, but the boy didn’t like her. Then again, he seemed wary of all the Isten. When they left, Alex asked Remiel to promise not to bring him there again. 

“I don’t have control over that, Alexiel,” he said. “If you get hurt during class, the instructors will probably send you to be healed before they call for me.”

“Just promise me, Remiel,” the little boy said, limping slowly along.

“I’ll promise, but only if I’m there, and only if it’s something I think Sophie can fix. Otherwise, you go to the medic.”

The little boy had been silent for a while, before he reluctantly said, “Fine. But you have to let Sophie try first.”

Alex’s clumsy little accidents stopped again after that. Unfortunately for Remiel, the reprieve from being constantly alert for danger was often met with a visit from Alex’s brother. 

Every time Alex got hurt bad enough for Gabriel to find out, the silver haired boy showed up like a thunderstorm, checking on his brother first, and then interrogating Remiel and demanding why he wasn’t doing his job. 

Remiel wasn’t sure what the boy expected. They were accidents. He couldn’t prevent every accident, no matter how attentive he was. 

Part of Remiel was pleased that Gabriel’s new schedule kept him too busy for Alex to visit daily. They saw Gabriel and his friends at dinner a few times a week, but they also spent a lot of their dinners up in Alex’s room with Sophie and Uzzi. The black-haired boy didn’t seem to mind being separated from his brother, not as much as he would have when he first started at the academy. 

Alex was growing stronger, both emotionally and physically. He talked back. He got angry. He argued with Remiel often, mostly about clothes, food, or waking up. The boy had a stubborn streak in him that could rival his silver-haired brother, and though he was difficult to handle sometimes, Remiel enjoyed watching his personality develop. 

Still, every once in a while, Alex would break down and need his brother. When the child was like that, Remiel didn’t mind dealing with Gabriel’s short temper, because the silver-haired boy dropped whatever he was doing to help. Sometimes that just meant holding Alex while he cried. 

Maybe with more time, Remiel would be able to comfort him on his own. He wished he could hug Alex, and tell him everything would be okay, but he knew the child would be uneasy with the contact from anyone but his brother. Remiel didn’t want to make things worse.

It was weird. When he originally took the job, he had never imagined he could feel so protective and proud of someone else. Now, he could barely imagine life without the little boy. He just wished there was something he could do to stop him from getting hurt all the time. 

***

“You called for me, Headmaster Iscriel?” said Remiel, walking into the office.

The Terran man sat behind his desk, piles of papers and scrolls surrounding him. He looked up and removed his glasses. “I did, Ahnnak Remiel, though I expected to see you earlier.”

“Sorry, sir. I had to drop Alexiel off with his brother.” 

“It is nearly curfew, young Ahnnak. Everyone should be in bed.”

“Yes, sir. Will this take long? Should I return him to his room before coming back?”

“No, you are here already.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll give you a pass to be out late, but next time, please answer my call earlier.”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

“Sit, please.” Iscriel motioned to one of the stools before the desk. Remiel brushed his wings back and sat. “I need to speak with you about the Ahnnak Alexiel. The last time I saw him, I noticed he it still struggling to adjust.” 

“He is doing better, sir.” Remiel felt worried. Was the Headmaster upset with how slow Alex was adjusting? Was this a meeting to remove the boy from Remiel’s care?

“I am glad there has been some improvement, but I am afraid it is not enough. The remedial classes are no place for the son of an Isten.”

“Sir?”

“I have been in contact with the Isten Jequn, father of both Ahnnak Gabriel and Ahnnak Alexiel. He has shown concern over his youngest remaining in the remedial classes this year. I have assured him that we are doing everything we can to catch the young Ahnnak up to his peers, but I’m afraid the Isten is growing impatient.”

“Alexiel is trying,” said Remiel. “He picks up information so fast, but he missed years. He needs time.”

“I know. And I know you are doing the best you can to help him, Remiel. If I could, I would give him all the time in the world to catch up, but I can’t,” said the Headmaster somberly. “This institution cannot afford the disapproval of an Isten. Next year, Alexiel will be joining the standard classes, whether he is ready or not.”

Remiel pushed his hand through his thick hair. He sighed heavily. “It’s going to be too much. Standard sixth year classes will overwhelm him.”

“You have a year to prepare him. If he is capable of testing out naturally, that would be best, for us and him, but he will be moving up either way. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” he said glumly.

“Another thing, he will need roommates next year. It is not healthy for a child that age to be alone so much.”

“I stay with him. His friend visits.”

“As pleased as I am to hear he has made a friend, that is not the point. Early childhood socialization is important. He will have to share a room with other boys his age.”

“But, sir-”

“If you have recommendations for who he should room with, I will take them into account when dorm assignments are made. Until then, I think you have enough to occupy your time.”

“Yes, sir.” Remiel stood. “May I go now?”

“Ah, one more thing. Your pay for the month.”

With a sigh, Remiel said, “Just apply it toward my debt, Headmaster. Like usual.”

“Of course. But…” The Headmaster took a small pouch out and placed it on the desk before Remiel. “Consider this your bonus. Off the record. A boy your age deserves to have a little money for himself.”

Remiel hesitated, then picked up the pouch. “Thank you, sir,” he said softly. 

With a kind smile, Headmaster Iscriel said, “It is a pity the Isten of your lineage will not acknowledge you. You would make him proud.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Remiel said, “Thank you, sir. Maybe one day I will.” He left the office and returned to his duties as Alex’s caretaker and tutor.


	39. Gabriel: 14th Degree of Sun and Moon, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unpleasant revelation before class, Gabriel has another run in with the Hunt, but this time Barach is at his side. And yet...

“Good morning, Instructor Ivoniel.”

“Gabriel! Good morning! You’re early!” chirped the demure prophecy instuctor. “What brings you in already? Your class doesn’t start for an hour.”

“I finished reading the book you gave me.”

“Already?” she gasped. “I only gave it to you yesterday.”

Gabriel grinned. “I couldn’t put it down.”

“Goodness. Did you have any questions?” She looked eager to discuss it, almost as much as Gabriel was. 

He hadn’t expected to enjoy the ancient prophecy class so much, but once they got into the first prophecy, the one about the rain falling up, he’d been fascinated. He couldn’t get enough of the old stories, and the way the ancients had interpreted the prophecies versus the way they actually came to pass. For that power to be available on Ahn almost made him wish he could visit the planet of his ancestors to meet the oracles. 

Gabriel sat the book down and flipped it open to one of the marked pages. “Here. The Fragmented Urn.”

“Oh, that’s a good one,” said Ivoniel. She stood beside him, peering down at the book. 

Pointing to the segment he had found interesting, he said, “ _Ever free of care and idols/ Fractured bones and piths of trifles / Follow in forgotten sun / Fairest home wears colors of ruin._ ” He looked at her. “How could they not understand it was a warning about the princess?” 

“The king of the land loved her,” said the instructor. “Love makes people do stupid things, even among the ancients of Ahn.”

“Do you think he knew?”

“That his daughter was murdering beasts and hiding their bones in her room? I don’t know. Maybe he did. Maybe that’s why he married her to the son of his rival.”

Gabriel read the passage again. “You mean, you think he might have done it on purpose?”

Ivoniel’s eyes sparkled when she smiled. “What do you think, Gabriel?”

“The book says he married her to form a peace treaty. Maybe he thought her husband would keep her under control… Or maybe he did know.” Gabriel bit his lip, looking at the last line again. He felt a flutter of excitement in his chest. “He knew she would murder her husband and hide his bones in an urn in their room, just like she’d done with all the beasts she killed around his castle. Once the heir vanished, his rival’s kingdom would have been easy to quietly gain control of.”

“If the urn hadn’t broke, that is probably what would have happened,” said Ivoniel. 

“Instead she was executed, and the two kingdoms went to war. If they had understood what the prophecy meant, they could have spared all those lives. They might have been strong enough to survive when the Empire reached them.”

“Perhaps, but you have to remember, the ancient prophecies were often discussed among the Isten, who held allegiance throughout different nations. A prophecy meant for one kingdom might be intercepted by another. If someone in the Empire understood the coming strife of the two kingdoms-”

“All they had to do was wait.” Gabriel’s eyes went wide. 

“Exactly.” Ivoniel smiled at him. “You know, it is rare that I’ve had a student with your aptitude for prophecy. Most your peers tend to think it’s just silly, archaic language.”

Gabriel nodded. Even among his study group, the girls seemed to dislike the assignments. A lot of them had trouble understanding the subtleties of the prophecies. Over the past few weeks, he had become the designated expert of the group for any questions relating to the class, but he really didn’t mind. He enjoyed the old stories, and he liked discussing the work. None of the girls quite shared his interest, though, so he found himself meeting with the instructor before class more and more, just to talk.

“I think they just have trouble understanding the way the ancients used the language. I noticed patterns in the phrases, like here,” he said, flipping to another prophecy, “in Frozen Stone. They discuss the sun again. They don’t mean the actual sun, though. They never do. It’s always a symbol of warmth and light. Or a direction.”

“Very astute. Goodness, Gabriel, I wish you weren’t an Ahnnak.”

He turned to look at the instructor. “What do you mean?” 

“I want to recommend you for the linguistics specialization. I think you would be outstanding.”

“You do? But I can’t choose a specialization for another three years,” he said.

She gave him a look full of pity and remorse. In her soft voice, she said, “ _When_ you can do it is not the issue, is it? You’re an heir. No matter how brilliant you could be as my apprentice, there is somewhere else you belong.”

Gabriel realized she was right. He didn’t have a choice. When he completed the core AC classes, of course he would be expected to select the specialization of his father. There had never been any other option. He would be going into biological sciences, specifically genetic manipulation. He would be expected to learn everything he could about the subject at Archridge. Then, when he graduated, he would be sent to apprentice directly under Jequn, where he would remain for the foreseeable future.

As he realized how few choices he had, he found that his wings wouldn’t lay flat against his back. The tension in his shoulders kept them slightly open.

Ivoniel saw the look of dismay on Gabriel’s face, and she patted his arm sympathetically. “Whether you can take your specialization with me or not, I enjoy discussing the old prophecies with you. You will always be welcome in my class, Gabriel.” 

“Thank you, instructor,” he said quietly. 

“Now, what about the next prophecy you’ve got marked…”

Turning back to the book, they resumed talking about the old prophecies until the rest of the morning class arrived. 

***

By the end of the day, Gabriel was in a sour mood. He met Barach in the hall outside his last class and started walking with him without saying hello.

“What’s wrong?” asked Barach. 

“Nothing,” Gabriel snapped.

“You’re a terrible liar, Gabe.”

Gabriel glared at him. Barach had been badgering him every weekend about getting stronger. The auroch calves were nearly fully grown, yet he still expected Gabriel to stop them and roll them to the ground. Of course, Gabriel could do it now, but it was still annoying to have to waste his weekends among the beasts.

More annoying was the fact that with all the additional time Barach spent in the stables helping Gabriel, he had grown stronger, too. His clearly defined muscles bulged tightly beneath his reddish-brown skin. He was taller and more mature, and even the older teen students in the hall gazed at him with interest. 

Standing beside Barach, Gabriel knew how skinny and frail he appeared. It wasn’t fair. He was nearly as strong as his friend now, but no matter how he worked, he was still stuck looking like a little kid. 

His wings tensed open again as annoyance and irritation raced through him. Gabriel said, “I don’t think you need to keep meeting me here after class. Don’t you have better things you could be doing?”

Barach shrugged. “I don’t.”

Scowling, he said, “What about your classes? You hardly study.”

“I’m passing. That’s good enough,” he answered calmly, looking straight ahead.

“Then go bother Erem. I don’t need you following me around anymore.”

They turned the corner to the next hall, and both of the boys stopped. Barach gave Gabriel a look that clearly said, _You were saying?_

Lorcasiel leaned against the wall casually, his arms crossed over his chest. Two Huntsmen stood with him. Noise from the way they’d just come made Gabriel glance back, only to find three more Huntsmen boxing them in. 

Barach tensed, his wings puffing up. He was nearly as big as a couple of the boys on the team, despite being a year or two younger. 

“What do you want, Lorcas?” asked Gabriel, already in a bad mood.

The Huntsman sneered. “You cocky little shit. How dare you say my name so casually.”

“Fuck you, Lorcasiel,” Gabriel snarled. “Is that better?” 

Rage flashed in Lorcas’s grey eyes. He pushed himself off the wall and stalked toward Gabriel. 

Barach stepped forward, putting himself between Gabriel and the Huntsmen. “Don’t touch him,” the stoic Ahnnak said firmly.

Lorcas stepped up so he was chest to chest with Barach. He glared down at him, though there wasn’t much of a height difference between them. “You going to fight me to defend your little boyfriend?”

“Yes,” answered Barach. He swung, his fist colliding with Lorcas’s jaw with a crack. The Huntsman stumbled back into his teammates arms. He held his jaw, his eyes narrowing at Barach. 

Voice seething with rage, Lorcas commanded, “Kill them.”

The fight wasn’t as one sided as Gabriel’s first run in with the Hunt, however, he and Barach still lost. It took four of the Huntsmen to pin Barach down, though he managed to knock the fifth out before they did so. They may not have been stronger than Barach individually, but the Hunt worked as a coordinated team and knew how to fight. Gabriel and Barach hadn’t had a chance.

The two defeated boys were dragged into an empty classroom where the door could be shut. Lorcas pinned Gabriel against the wall by his throat. His face was just as bloodied and bruised as Gabriel’s own. 

“I should rip your damned wings off,” the Huntsman hissed. 

“Do it, you fucking coward!” Gabriel spat. He held tight to Lorcas’ arm, but the Terran was still stronger than him. He couldn’t break free. 

With rage-filled eyes, Lorcasiel said, “What if we take it out on your boyfriend?” 

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“No? Then you won’t care if we break his arm.” He signaled to the Huntsmen on Barach. There was a pained noise from the ground, then a sharp snap. Barach choked back a scream through clenched teeth.

The sound of his friend being hurt turned Gabriel’s blood cold. “S-Stop,” he whispered.

“We could break his hand next,” said Lorcas.

“Wait. Don’t. Please.” Gabriel took his hands off Lorcasiel’s arm, raising them in a passive gesture of surrender. The Huntsman’s hand stayed on his throat, tightening slightly, but Gabriel didn’t grab him again. “Please,” he gasped.

Cruel grey eyes stared at him for a moment, looking for any sign of resistance. “Beg me, Ahnnak.”

Gabriel licked his lips. “Please don’t hurt my friend, Lorcasiel.”

From the ground, Barach yelled, “Fucking punch him, Gabe!” The four Huntsmen on his back applied more pressure to hold him down. Any further words his friend said were muffled against the stone. 

“So? What are you going to do?” asked Lorcas, looking at Gabriel with a smirk. “You want to try to hit me again, baby? Or will you admit defeat and accept your punishment?”

Swallowing hard, Gabriel muttered, “You win this time.”

“What was that, baby? I couldn’t hear you.”

Louder, he said, “You win. Fiends take you, Lorcasiel, you win. Just please stop hurting Barach. Let him up.” Gabriel hated this. He just wanted it to be over.

“We’ll let him up after I’m done with you.” Lorcas removed his hand from Gabriel’s throat. “Now about your punishment. You got out of your last beating. How about we pick up where we left off?”

Gabriel rubbed his sore neck and averted his eyes from Lorcas. Even though there weren’t as many people there as witnesses, getting a beating from the older boy would still be humiliating. He didn’t see another option, though.

“Whatever, Lorcasiel,” Gabriel grumbled. 

“Now, that’s not the way to talk to your superiors, baby. You deserve getting your ass spanked. Ask me to do it.”

“What?! I’m not going to ask you-”

Lorcas raised his hand. There was a pop and Barach hissed in a sharp breath. He started struggling, but the four of them were too much for him.

“Stop! Alight! Fuck, Lorcasiel! Leave him alone!” Gabriel yelled, moving toward his friend. 

Lorcas caught him and pushed him back. “Watch your language, baby. You want to help him, you’ll do what I say.”

“Fine. I’ll do it. Whatever you say.”

Smiling heartlessly, Lorcas said, “I want you to stretch yourself over that desk and beg for me to punish you.” 

Gabriel clenched his jaw. He closed his eyes for a moment, desperately trying to think of an way out, but nothing came to him. He needed to get Barach to a medic. He opened his eyes to glare at Lorcas, then stepped to the designated desk and leaned across it. “Please hit me,” he said monotonously.

Lorcas stood behind him. His hand touched Gabriel’s back, his fingers slowly walking up his spine to his wings. “That’s not good enough. I don’t think you really want it.” He grabbed one of Gabriel’s primary feathers and yanked it out. 

“Ow! Fuck! That’s because I don’t,” he snapped. He looked back to see Lorcas sniffing his long white feather, touching it to his upper lip. 

The Huntsman tucked the feather behind his ear and said, “Then you want to lay there and watch as your boyfriend’s fingers get dislocated one by one?” Lorcas started to raise his hand to signal again. 

“No!” Gabriel exclaimed. He turned back to look at the heap of bodies on the ground. He could see Barach, see the way he glared at him, judging him for his weakness. Barach wanted him to fight back, to resist, but Gabriel couldn’t stand the thought of watching his friend get hurt more because of him. 

He would let Barach scold him later, but for now, he had to accept his fate.

“Please,” Gabriel said softly, his chest tight. “Lorcasiel, please punish me. I’ve been very bad, and I want you to spank me.”

“Aw, was that so hard, baby?” asked Lorcas as he picked up a two cubit measuring stick from the instructor’s desk. He swung it sharply though the air a couple times.

“W-Wait. You were just going to use your hand before.”

“That was before. I think you deserve a little more punishment now, don’t you?” Gabriel felt the stick touch his backside as Lorcas lined up the first swing. 

Gabriel raised his wings, keeping them out of the way. He didn’t trust the Terran to avoid hitting them, either on accident or on purpose. 

“Grab the other side of the desk,” commanded Lorcas. “Don’t let go. I’m going to beat you until you cry, baby boy.”

True to his word, that was exactly what Lorcasiel did.

***

The Hunt left Barach and Gabriel alone in the room after they were done with them. Sniffling, Gabriel kicked away the snapped pieces of the cubit measuring stick, then limped over and helped his friends off the floor. The ulna of Barach’s left arm was broken, and his left pinkie was dislocated at the knuckle. Barach’s face was swollen and bloody, but Gabriel knew he probably didn’t look much better.

Gabriel removed the sash he wore draped across his chest to make a makeshift sling for Barach’s arm. He could feel his friend’s dark eyes on him the entire time he tied the sash on. 

“What?” he finally asked. His voice sounded raspy and strained from crying.

Quietly, Barach said, “I better be dead the next time you give up, because if I’m not, I’m going to kill you myself.”

Gabriel sighed. “I did what I had to, Barach.”

“What you did was disgraceful.”

“They’d beaten us. The Hunt trains to track down beasts and fiends for fun. We’re just a couple kids. We didn’t stand a chance against them, and it was stupid to think playing around in the stables during the weekends would be enough to fight them.” 

Glaring, Barach said, “I’m stronger than them. You nearly are, too. If you had watched my back, we could have beaten them. You need to learn how to fight better.”

“No. We just need to stay away from them.” Gabriel rubbed his eyes. They felt puffy from crying. Lorcas hadn’t stopped until the measuring stick broke, and Gabriel’s backside felt inflamed and sore. He knew sitting would be really uncomfortable for the next day or so.

“I’m not running away from them,” said Barach. “Neither are you, even if you want to. They’re just Terran and Homm. They’re nothing compared to us.”

Gabriel didn’t think there wasn’t nearly as much difference between Terran and Ahnnak as Barach seemed to believe, but he didn’t feel now was the time to point that out. “Let’s get you to the medic.”

Painfully, the beaten Ahnnak boys walked together to the medic’s office. Barach didn’t say anything for the rest of the evening, but Gabriel could tell his friend wasn’t going to let this go.


	40. Barachiel: 18th Degree of Sun and Moon, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barach and Gabriel get into a fight about what happened a few days ago with the Hunt.

The earliest Medic Haniel cleared Barach to return to the stables was the twenty-fifth, but Barach would be damned if he skipped going for a week just because of a broken arm. 

He dragged Gabriel out of bed the last day of the three degree weekend and forced him to go down to the valley with him. For once, Gabriel didn’t grumble or whine. He tied his silver hair back properly and put on a sturdy work outfit, then followed Barach out.

They flew through the late spring air, already able to feel the heat of the day swelling. The sun broke the horizon just as they landed, and Gabriel immediately entered the stables and began Barach’s chores. They didn’t speak. They hadn’t spoken much over the past few days, not since the Hunt took them down.

Watching his friend surrender to a bunch of Homm and Terran had been one of the hardest things Barach had to witness. He would have preferred Gabriel let them break every bone in body than watch Lorcasiel beat him like that. 

Gabriel hadn’t even tried to resist. He just lay there with a white knuckle grip on the edge of the table while Lorcasiel hit him over and over. It didn’t take long before the boy was crying and howling in pain, but the Huntsman didn’t stop until the measuring stick snapped.

Barach had seen the marks the Hunt left on Gabriel’s body. He knew how much he endured, but he had no sympathy for him. Letting some Terran scum make him cry like that was disgraceful. 

If they had been able to fight together, it might have been different, but Barach had underestimated the Hunt. Their defeat was as much his fault as Gabriel’s. The Huntsmen weren’t just strong, they were well trained. They operated as a team, separating Barach from Gabriel quickly and immobilizing them. At least Barach had knocked one of them out before they took him down, and no one had escaped the battle without some injury. 

Strength wasn’t going to be enough. They needed to learn how to fight, _really fight_ , if they were ever going to have a chance against the Hunt. 

Ku-Iannan, the stable master, walked over. He looked surprised to see Barach there. “Your friend come to do your work again today?” he asked in his deep, gruff voice. He motioned to Barach’s arm, which was splinted and wrapped. 

“Yeah, he’s in there somewhere,” said Barach. He leaned against he fence beside the auroch pen. The calves were fully grown, and had been moved to the herd on the west side of the valley, but Cloudkicker remained. She snuffled his hair over the top of the high fence.

“So what happened this time?” asked the stable master. The Homm was the unquestioned authority on anything pertaining to the beasts in the academy stables. Barach respected his knowledge and experience, even though he was a Homm and fairly young. Not that Barach was very good at estimating the ages of Homm. The man appeared to be somewhere between thirty and forty, which was still considered juvenile in Terran or Ahnnak, but probably middle age in Homm. 

“Got in a fight,” answered Barach. 

“And you lost?” His dark brow lifted with surprise.

“Completely.”

Ku-Iannan whistled low. “What took you down, kid?”

“The Hunt.”

For a moment, Ku-Iannan stared at him as if he’d misunderstood. Slowly, he repeated, “The Hunt. Like, _the_ Hunt.”

Barach nodded.

“Shit, kid, I thought you had more sense than that. How’d you end up in a fight with them?”

“I have stupid friends.”

With a sigh, Ku-Iannan said, “Yup, been there.”

“If it had been one-on-one, I never would have lost,” said Barach, still frustrated by his defeat.

“That’s your problem, kid. You’ve been focused on facing your fights head on, like an auroch. The Hunt moves like the krokuta.”

“Krokuta? You mean that lazy beast in the stables? He just sleeps all day and makes noise.” 

The beast was only chest high to Barach, covered in mangy brown spotted fur. A black bristle mane ran between his round ears, then down his spine from his high shoulders to his low haunches. His large, square jaw was full of sharp teeth, though Barach had never found him intimidating, just loud. The beast’s obnoxious call sounded like laughter, and could be heard from any part of the stables. 

“That krokuta is old,” said Ku-Iannan. “And it’s only him. A whole pack of them, young, with their matriarch in charge, they would tear down your Cloudkicker like a spring calf. Kind of like you against the Hunt.”

Barach glared at him. “Thanks, Ku. You’re always so helpful.”

“I’m just saying, kid, big and strong has got you pretty far, but if you’re going to pick fights with people who are big and strong _and_ work together? You’re gonna look like this a lot more often.”

Gabriel emerged from the stables, still looking serious and reserved. He wiped his dirty hands off on the sash he had tied around his waist. “Good morning, stable master,” he said solemnly, bowing his head to the Homm.

“Damn, kid, I thought Barachiel looked rough. Let me guess, Hunt got to you, too?”

Gabriel didn’t look at him. He untied his silver hair, gathering the loose strands back up, and retied it. “The Hunt isn’t the problem. It’s Lorcasiel.”

“That boy _is_ the Hunt,” replied Ku-Iannan. “Archridge barely ranked before he joined, now we’ve won for six seasons straight. He’s got a head for the game like I’ve never seen. His team follows his lead without question, and if you did something to piss off him, well… It’s been nice knowing you, kid.” He picked up a shovel from beside the fence. “I got posts in the north quarter that need reset. If anyone comes looking for me, that’s where I’ll be.”

Gabriel waited until after the Homm left before he spoke. “What are we going to do?”

“Learn to fight better.”

“Barach, be serious.”

“I am.”

Ice-blue eyes turned on him. “I need you to stop.”

“Gabe, I _am_ serious. We can learn how to fight better. We can-”

“I need you to stop walking with me. 

“What?”

“Don’t meet me after class anymore. Just leave me alone. I don’t want your help. I never asked for your help.” Gabriel clenched his fists, and Barach saw the shimmer of tears in his blue eyes. “I want you to stay away from me, Barach. This is my fight, between me and Lorcas, and it has nothing to do with you.”

Barach’s wings quivered against his back. “You…” He paused, swallowing hard, then loudly stated, “You, Gabe, are the _dumbest shit_ I have ever known.”

“Fuck you, Barach,” the boy replied, sniffling and baring his teeth. “If you’re not going to stop, I don’t want to be your friend anymore.”

“Like I give a fuck what you want, Gabe,” he snapped, stepping closer to the silver-haired idiot. “Is this because I got hurt? Is that where this guilt fueled pity is coming from?” 

“It’s my fault-”

Barach punched him, stepping into the strike, knocking him flat. He stood over his friend, shaking out his hand. “You can’t control the world, Gabe. I’ll make my own damn decisions about what I do, and if I get hurt, it won’t be your fault. You’re just a stupid, bratty kid.”

Gabriel slowly sat up, his eyes filled with burning fury. He spit out a tooth. “The fiends can have your rotten carcass, Barach. I hate you.”

“Fine. Hate me. You gonna do something about it, or just sit there and whine?” Barach thumped his chest. “Fight me!”

With a roar, Gabriel launched himself off the ground, throwing himself against Barach’s stomach. The collision sent them tumbling across the dirt in a cloud of beating wings and flailing limbs. Gabriel had grown stronger, and he fought with months of pent up rage and frustration. With his arm splinted, Barach had a trouble pinning the silver-haired boy down. 

They fought each other until their bodies exhausted, their punches connecting with less force. Barach finally twisted around, getting Gabriel pinned beneath him. He sat on his chest, breathing hard, glaring down at his friend. “You yield?”

Gabriel struggled and squirmed, but he didn’t have strength remaining to get away. “Fuck you.”

Barach punched him in the nose. “I said, do you yield?”

Through the blood, Gabriel coughed and shouted, “I yield! Fuck! Get off me!”

Barach fell to his side, laying in the dirt as he stared up at the blue sky, breathing hard. He hurt all over, though nothing felt broken. Gabriel lay beside him, touching his face, grumbling little curses every time he found a new spot that hurt.

“Feel better?” Barach asked him.

Gabriel glared at him, then looked back up to the sky. “Yeah,” he griped. He wiped the blood from his nose. “Are you hurt?”

“A little.”

“Good.” He sniffled. “You’re such a jerk, Barach.”

“That’s right, I am. And you need to stop feeling sorry for me like you think you’re better than me.”

“I don’t think I’m better than you… I just hate watching people get hurt because of me.”

“It was one time, Gabe. One fight. And it won’t happen again.”

“It’s not just you, it’s…” His words faded out and he sighed heavily. “It’s nothing.” Gabriel sat up, groaning in pain. His wings shook, flinging dirt from his feathers. “Lorcas came after me because Sera broke up with him.”

Barach took a moment to process that. He said, “I told you hiding behind girls wouldn’t work.”

Gabriel shrugged, a little more dirt falling from his wings. “It was temporary. She took him back. He’ll leave me alone again.”

“Until the next time they break up.” Barach pushed himself off the ground and slowly rose to his feet. Everything hurt anew, but this time, he didn’t mind. “You know, Gabe, if you fought like that against the Hunt, we wouldn’t have lost.” He offered to help his friend off the ground.

Gabriel took his hand and stood. He almost looked embarrassed as he said, “It was like something snapped in my head. I lost control. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It shows you’re not completely helpless.”

“I am not helpless.” Gabriel glared at him. 

“No? Then you’ll learn how to fight, so next time we stand a chance against the Hunt?”

“Will you still fight at my side?” he asked.

“I’ll fight beside you always, Gabe, even if you are a little shit.”

“Jerk.” Gabriel punched his arm. “If I do learn to fight better, you know the first thing I’m going to do is kick your ass.”

“Bring it.” Barach smiled at him. 

Gabriel returned the grin wide, showing off the bloody gap where the missing molar had been. Barach laughed and slung his arm around his friend’s shoulders. He really was an idiot.


	41. Alex: 5th Degree of Tides, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a minor collision in flight class, Alex and Uzzi have their first argument. It could mean the end of their friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was an issue with Gabriel's chapter 39 where it posted out of order, as 35. It's fixed now, and he gets his ass beaten in the right spot, chronologically, followed by his fight with Barach. Sorry for any confusion, but everything looks like it is where it's supposed to be now.

“Alex, watch out!” yelled Uzzi, just seconds before Isa collided with him. Their wings got caught and they dropped from the air, tumbling across the ground and a tangle of limbs. 

They rolled to a stop, Isa laying on top, staring down into Alex’s black eyes. The boy was close enough that Alex could count the freckles on his cheeks. The weight of his body held him to the ground.

“Sorry, New Moon” Isa said, blinking rapidly. He didn’t move. He looked conflicted as he quietly added, “Why do you smell so good?”

Before Alex could respond, Uzzi grabbed Isa’s shoulder and yanked him off the black-haired boy. “Fiends, Isa! Can’t you watch where you’re going?!” 

Isa sat in the dirt, glaring up at Uzzi, his lip curled back in a sneer. “It was an accident, you dumb burnt turd.”

“You could have seriously hurt Alex!” 

“He’s fine!” Isa looked at him. “You’re fine, right?”

Alex pushed himself onto his elbows. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He felt a little shaky from having Isa on top of him, but not nearly as bad as he would have even a few months ago. It was nothing he couldn’t handle. He started to get up when Phrasa landed beside him. 

She backbeat her wings a couple times to halt her momentum, then folded them neatly behind her. She crouched beside Alex. 

_New Moon, lay still_ , she signed.

_I’m fine_ , he signed back. 

_Your leg is bleeding._

He looked at his leg and found that he was bleeding. His pants were ripped across his thigh, and some shallow scratches marred his light skin. “Oh,” he said. “I guess it is.”

“You fiend!” Uzzi yelled, launching himself at Isa. 

The boys wrestled in the dirt, while Nenghi landed beside them, cheerfully chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Some of the other squads stopped to watch, but most of them were used to the antics of Squad Veh, and proceeded with their drills. Instructor Dardiel’s assistant, Terran Marliel, flew over with Mace right behind him. 

“Isaiel! Uzziel! Knock it off!” he yelled, reaching into the squabbling boys to grab each of them. He picked each of them up by the back of the neck and held them in the air, keeping his arms spread so they couldn’t reach each other. 

“He hurt Alex!” Uzzi yelled, pointing a finger at Isa.

“I missed my mark! You miss your marks all the time!”

“But I’ve never knocked anyone out of the sky!”

Marliel shook them booth by the scruffs of their necks until they stopped arguing. “I don’t care what happened!” he shouted. “Enough out of you two! Every week it’s something new.”

Phrasa waved, trying to get Marliel’s attention, but he didn’t see her. She glared, her mouth turned down in a frustrated frown. She put her thumb and index finger in her mouth and whistled. The sound was shrill, and Marliel immediately looked over. 

_New Moon is hurt_ , Phrasa signed impatiently. 

“Of course he is,” Marliel muttered. He placed Isa on one side of him, then Uzzi on the other. He scowled back and forth between them. “You two touch each other again today, and I’m sending you straight to the Headmaster’s office. I’ll let admin sort you out.”

Isa crossed his arms, turning around in a huff. Uzzi stuck his tongue out at the back of Isa’s head, then copied the gesture, turning his back on Isa.

Marliel walked over to Alex, looking like he was prepared for the worst. When he saw the scratches, he almost sighed in relief. “That’s not bad,” he said. “We’ll have you sit out the rest of class, and Remiel can take you to get cleaned up when he gets here. Sound good?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, Terran Marliel.” 

“Uzziel, help Alexiel over to the tree,” he instructed. “I expect this squad back in the air in five minutes, or you’re all receiving half marks for the day.” 

Nenghi rolled her eyes dramatically. “That’s what you always say.”

“I’ll do it, Nenghiel. Don’t push your luck.” He jumped back into the air, returning to his duties directing the other squads.

“Why’d you have to get him?” Isa griped at Mace.

“Last time I tried to break up your fight, one of you elbowed me in the eye,” she replied. She shook out her wings. “I’m not doing that again.”

Uzzi walked over to Alex, offering his hand to help him up. Alex was slow to accept, but he did, reluctantly allowing Uzzi to pull him to his feet.

“Go ahead and start,” the fiery boy told Phrasa. “I’ll catch up in a moment.”

_Understood. Let’s go_ , Phrasa commanded, signaling for them to take to the air. She led the way, Nenghi, Mace, and Isa quickly following her.

Standing, Alex could feel the blood trickle down his leg, making the fabric damp and sticky. It wasn’t bleeding fast enough to do more than make a mess, though. If he tried to focus like Sophie was teaching him, he might even be able to stop the bleeding before the end of class.

“Can you walk?” Uzzi asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He took a step to make sure. There was a little pain, but his leg held out, so there wasn’t any additional damage. He barely limped as he made his way over to the tree.

Uzzi stayed at his side. “That stupid Axe. He needs to watch where he’s going.”

“He didn’t do it on purpose,” said Alex.

“You’re defending him?!” asked Uzzi, his voice rising. “He knocked you down. He was laying on top of you like… like… I don’t know! If he wasn’t hurt, he should have gotten up!”

“He asked me why I smelled good.”

“HE WHAT!?” Uzzi’s voice cracked when he shrieked. “I’m going to kill him!” 

“Calm down, Uzzi. You asked the same thing,” he said, giving his friend a strange look.

“That’s different. It was different.”

“How?”

“It just is, Alex! That Axe has no business being that close to you. You’re _my_ friend.”

They reached the tree. Alex watched Uzzi curiously. “Can’t I have more friends than just you?”

For a second, Uzzi almost looked like he was going to cry. Then he clenched his jaw and glared at Alex. “You want to be friends is that Axe? Fine. Be his friend. But if you do, I won’t be friends with you anymore. You have to choose, New Moon.” 

Before Alex could respond, Uzzi spun around and darted off, flying back to the squad. With a frustrated sigh, Alex sat in the grass and watched them. 

Yellow flowers bloomed all around the tree, and before long, Alex found himself plucking bright blossoms from the ground and braiding them with long strands of grass. It was something Remiel had taught him, and it had been calming when he learned it. 

Now he didn’t feel so calm. 

Alex didn’t understand why Uzzi was still acting that way. Since the new year started, he’d been trying to make it clear to the fiery boy that he was his best friend. Uzzi was the only person their age Alex allowed into his room. He ate over half his meals with the boy and his sister. Lately, he had even been making an effort to not freak out when Uzzi touched him. Alex had taken his hand to get off the ground. Couldn’t Uzzi understand how much that meant? What more could he possibly want from him?

He finished weaving the yellow flowers, connecting the ends to make a circle. Alex stared at the flower crown in his hand, frowning at it. Why did making friends have to be so difficult? 

Looking up, Alex watched his squad as they practiced the intricate dodge move that involved weaving between alternating sides. Done fast and properly, the move looked like a spiraling cyclone. The squads all practiced at a slower pace, though his squad was definitely the slowest. And the loudest. He could hear them from there.

He looked at the circle of flowers again, wondering if Uzzi would really make him choose. He didn’t want to. He liked Isa. He like all Squad Veh. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t be friends with all of them. 

If he had to choose… Alex didn’t know what he would do. It bothered him. He spent the rest of the class staring at those yellow flowers and thinking of Uzzi. By the time Remiel showed up, he wasn’t any closer to a decision, but he quickly hid the flower crown, tucking it beneath his wing and squeezing it tight against his back. He didn’t know why, but the idea of Remiel seeing what he made was embarrassing. 

“Hey, Alexiel- Oh, shit, you’re bleeding.” Remiel’s bronze skin paled, like it did whenever he saw blood.

“It’s just a scratch,” Alex assured him. “Marliel said I could wait for you, then we could go. I want to shower and change before my next class.”

Remiel swallowed hard, regaining some of his composure. “That’s a lot of blood. You sure you don’t want to swing by the medic and get that patched?”

“Is Sophie available?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“No. She’s still in class,” replied Remiel.

“Then I’ll take care of it myself. I think it already stopped bleeding anyway.” Alex stood, carefully not using his wings to help him rise. Remiel seemed distracted enough by the blood to not notice. 

“How did you get hurt?” the older boy asked. He waved up at Marliel, and the assistant waved back, acknowledging that Remiel was taking Alex. They started toward the stairs into the academy.

“Isa bumped into me, and we dropped,” said Alex. “I think he broke my fall, but we rolled a ways, and I must have gotten scratched on a rock.” 

“Was he hurt?”

“He seemed alright,” said Alex. “Then Uzzi came over. He was really upset, and they got into a fight.”

“Again?”

Nodding, Alex said, “Yeah. Marliel threatened to send them to the Headmaster.”

“You’d think those boys would learn by now.” Remiel shook his head disapprovingly. He exhaled heavily. “So, shall we fly to your room today, since your leg is hurt?”

Alex’s wings squeezed tightly against his back. He could feel the grass and flowers poking between his feathers. “Uh, no, let’s just walk,” he said quickly.

“Are you sure, Alexiel? You’re limping quite a bit.”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Remiel watched him suspiciously, but he didn’t say anything else about it. They continued walking, reaching Alex’s room in Imperial Housing before long. Alex grabbed fresh clothes and brought them into the bathing room with him so he could shower and change before lunch. 

***

After lunch, Remiel walked Alex to his afternoon class. He didn’t say anything about Alex’s behavior, though Alex was certain he noticed. The grass and leaves irritated his feathers, and it was hard keeping his wings completely still.

“I’ll be here to pick you up after class,” Remiel told him, stopping at the door to the room “Don’t leave without me. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Yes, Remiel,” Alex replied, trying not to look suspicious. He doubted it worked, but the older boy waved a ring covered hand and left for his own afternoon classes.

Uzzi wasn’t there yet. Alex mumbled a greeting to the teacher and went over to sit at their table, keeping his wings tight against his back. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go through with this. What if he made things worse? He stared at the familiar pattern of the wood grain on the desk while he worried and waited for Uzzi to arrive.

After a few minutes, Fuztethiel said, “Good afternoon, Uzziel.” Alex looked up.

“Afternoon, Terran Fuztethiel,” Uzzi muttered. He walked over and sat at the desk. Heat radiated from the boy, like Alex was sitting close to a smoldering fire. Suddenly, he didn’t think he could do this at all.

“Hi, Alex,” Uzzi whispered. He didn’t look at him, but stared down at his hands beneath the desk. 

“Hi.” It was all he could get out. His wings tightened against his back, the hidden flower crown disturbing his feathers more. This was a mistake. He couldn’t go through with it, but he couldn’t hide it the whole class either.

Uzzi glanced over at him. “I… I’m sorry about yelling at you earlier. I didn’t mean it.”

Alex licked his lips. “You sounded like you meant it,” he replied.

“I was just upset,” the boy lamented. “I do and say stupid things when I’m upset.”

“Uzzi…” He paused. He swallowed again. How could this be so hard? “Uzzi, you are my best friend, but…”

“But?” the boy repeated, turning to face him. 

“I’m going to be friends with Isa, Phrasa, Nenghi, and Mace, too.”

“So you’re choosing them?” His voice wavered a little.

“It’s not choice, Uzzi. You don’t own me. You don’t get to tell me what to do. If that’s how you think of me, then maybe we shouldn’t be friends.” It was hard to say. Alex felt tears forming in his eyes, and he quickly looked down, hiding behind a curtain of his black hair. 

Uzzi was silent for a while. His voice sounded thick with emotion when he said, “That’s not how I think of you. I don’t want you to stop being my friend, Alex.”

“I don’t want that either.” His voice came out tiny. He reached back under his wing and grabbed the ring of flowers. He passed it beneath the desk to Uzzi. It was a little flatter than it had been when he wove it, but it still looked okay. 

“Is this… for me?” Uzzi took the crown tentatively, looking to Alex for confirmation. 

“Yes. I-If you want it.”

“Did you make this? For me?”

Alex nodded, peering at Uzzi though his black hair. “It’s okay if you don’t like it. I’m not very good at making things. I’m not good at much, actually. I can’t fly well, and I’m not smart. I get hurt all the time. But still… I like having you as my friend.”

Uzzi nestled the crown of flowers in his spiky hair. The yellow flowers formed a halo of sparks around his head. It fit him perfectly, just like Alex thought it would, though he couldn’t figure out why he felt so strange seeing the other boy wear it.

With a wide grin, Uzzi said, “I love it. Thank you, Alex. How do I look?”

“You look fine, I guess,” said Alex, hiding the blush across his cheeks behind his hair. This was an odd feeling. He’d never given anyone anything before. Was his chest supposed to feel this hot?

“So, we’re still friends, right?” asked Uzzi.

“As long as you don’t try to tell me what to do anymore.”

“I’ll try not to, New Moon. Just hit me if I start acting dumb again, okay?”

Alex smiled slightly at his friend. He held out his closed fist before him, and they bumped knuckles. “Sure, Inferno. I can do that.”

Mace came in, sliding into her seat just as Fuztethiel walked to the front of the room to begin class. She looked at Uzzi, tilting her head with curiosity. She signed, _Nice crown. Where?_

_New Moon_ , he signed back. 

She looked at Alex. _Me too?_

_No_ , Uzzi signed firmly. _Go away._

_Bite me, Inferno_ , she signed, baring her teeth. She looked at Alex. _Purple, please?_

He nodded, though he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to make another. Uzzi huffed and stuck his tongue out at Mace. Fuztethiel saw the look, and raised a disapproving eyebrow. The fiery boy just shrugged at him, and looked away. 

“Alright class, let’s begin,” said the teacher. “Today we’re going to be discussing wind patterns and air density…”

The class settled in to listen, though Alex found it difficult to pay attention today. His cheeks felt hot any time he would glance at Uzzi beside him, proudly wearing the woven circlet. Uzzi caught him looking once, and grinned broadly. 

Alex looked down at his desk, feeling the panicked flutter of his heart. It had definitely been a mistake to give that to him.

***

Uzzi stayed with Alex while they waited for Remiel to arrive. They weren’t the only ones who remained. Fuztethiel worked at a desk with a couple of the students who had trouble understanding the lecture and the follow up assignment. Alex didn’t understand all of it either, since he hadn’t really been paying attention, but he knew Remiel would be able to help him catch up tonight.

They stood by the door, so they could leave quickly when Remiel arrived. Uzzi bounced a little on his toes while they waited. One of the yellow flowers had come loose, and was hanging limply in the middle of his forehead. The fiery boy kept crossing his eyes trying to see it. 

“Is that one falling?” he asked.

“Sorry.” Alex reached up and pulled the long stem out. “I’m still not very good at weaving things together.”

“Here, let me see it.” Uzzi held out his hand, and Alex gave him the single yellow flower. The boy appraised Alex a moment, then took the bright flower and slid it into his black hair. The long stem held it in place. “There. Now we match.” Uzzi grinned.

Alex felt his cheeks warm again. “I made it for you. I don’t want to wear it.” He reached up to pull the flower out, but Uzzi caught his wrist. His skin felt hot.

“Keep it in. Please? It looks cute.” He released his hold on Alex, quickly adding a half-hearted, “Sorry.”

“I don’t want to be cute, Uzzi,” said Alex.

There was a squeal, and then from the hall, Sophie said, “Aww! How adorable! Look at you two!” Remiel stood with her right outside the door.

“Ugh, stop it, Sophie. What are you doing here?” moaned Uzzi, rolling his eyes dramatically. 

Sophie stepped forward and pinched Uzzi’s cheeks. “You should be happy when you see your big sister,” she said. “Specially when you look so cute.”

Batting her hands away, Uzzi exclaimed, “You’re so annoying! Leave me alone!”

Fuztethiel cleared his throat. “Children, if there’s nothing I can help you with, please leave.” He looked at Remiel expectantly. 

“Sorry, Terran,” said Remiel, bowing slightly. “We’ll be going.” He ushered them all from the room. When they were all a safe distance down the hall, he said, “Sorry about being late, Alexiel. Did class go okay?”

“More importantly, where did you two get those flowers?” asked Sophie. 

“None of your business,” Uzziel replied. 

“Did a girl give them to you?” she asked in a singsong voice, poking her little brother’s shoulder.

“Stop it. Get away, Sophie, you’re gross!” Uzzi hopped back and put Alex between her and him. 

She grinned, spinning so she walked backwards down the hall with her wings spread behind her. “Somebody likes you. Is she cute?” 

Alex felt his cheeks flush. That wasn’t why he’d given Uzzi the flowers.

“Sophie! Stop! It’s not from a girl.” The fiery boy crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at his sister. Heat radiated off him, making the edges of the flowers in his hair wilt.

Remiel caught Alex’s attention. He mouthed, _From you?_

Alex gave him a quick, embarrassed nod. Remiel smiled at him briefly, then stepped forward, taking Sophie’s hand and spinning her around. He slipped his hand around her waist, pulling her close to his side as he continued walking down the hall.

“So what’d you get for number three on the test?” he asked.

She looked up at him, wide-eyed and surprised for a moment, then said, “Thirty-six. Obviously.” 

“I got thirty-four.” 

Sophie laughed, pushing away from him. “You’re kidding! No way! The answer was thirty-six, Remi.”

“That’s impossible. I did every equation perfectly, and I got thirty-four.” 

The two older students fell into one of their familiar arguments, leading the way down the hall. Uzzi still looked annoyed that his sister had shown up. There was a little smoke curling from the corner of his mouth.

“How do you do that?” Alex whispered, wanting the conversation to move away from the flowers. Giving them to Uzzi had seriously been a mistake.

“Do what?” he asked.

“The smoke.”

Uzzi’s eyebrows scrunched with concern as he put his hand in front of his mouth and huffed twice, watching the smoke curl against his palm. “Damn it.” He swallowed hard a couple times. “I’m not supposed to do it. Fuzzi will have my hide if he catches me burning something again.” He looked behind him as if he expected Fuztethiel to suddenly be there.

“You can’t control it?” Maybe it was like that black spark that happened to Alex, the one that jumped between his fingers and turned everything to dust.

“Oh no,” said Uzzi, “I can control it. We’re just not allowed to use elements at the academy until we’ve received formal instruction. We should get a few lessons at the end of this year, but they don’t allow anyone under ten to practice conjuration on campus, even if you’ve been doing it your whole life, like I have.”

“So… what is it?” asked Alex.

“It’s just fire.” Uzzi shrugged like it was meaningless. 

“Inside you? Doesn’t that hurt?”

Uzzi slowed, glancing up and down the hall. No one else was around, except Sophie and Remiel. He waited until they were a little further away, then stuck out his tongue. A dancing flame burned there, floating just above the tip. He quickly pulled it back into his mouth and swallowed. 

“Doesn’t hurt,” he said. “I’ve always been able to do it. I burned down my cradle when I was a baby. Almost took the house, too, but my mom put it out. Everything was stone and metal for me after that.”

“Can your mother and father… Do they do it too?”

Shrugging his wings, Uzzi said, “Maybe? I’ve never seen them do it, but I guess it’s possible. My dad is mostly fireproof, as far as I’ve seen, but he’s just a regular Terran. My mom is a healer, and that’s where Sophie gets her skills from, but she’s pretty good at other elements, too.” He started walking toward Remiel and Sophie again, trying to catch up before they noticed the boys had slowed down. “How about your parents?”

“I don’t know,” Alex replied, staying close but keeping his eyes focused on the ground. 

“Your dad is an Isten. He’s got to be able to do some pretty cool stuff,” said Uzzi, sounding a little excited at the idea. “I bet he can do all the elements. Fire. Ice. Electricity. You ever see him melt metal?”

Alex had, in fact. He’d worn it like a brand on his chest for a week until he’d been able to peel it off his seared skin. “Uzzi, I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, pulling his wings in tight against his back. 

“Oh. Okay.” They walked silently for a while, still keeping a little distance between Remiel and Sophie. “Hey, Alex?” asked Uzzi.

“Yeah?”

“If you ever want to talk to me about something… you know it’s okay, right?”

Alex glanced at Uzzi, at the yellow flowers that surrounded him like sparks from a slowly burning fire. “I know,” he said, then turned away. He felt cold, because he knew he would never be able to really talk to anyone ever.

They caught up with Remiel and Sophie, following the older students to the dining hall for dinner.


	42. Remiel: 15th Degree of Predators, 594 DE

“So what are you doing for Harvest?” Barach asked Remiel, between mouthfuls of rice.

“Same thing I usually do,” he replied while he peeled the rind from Alex’s citron. “Stay here.” 

Five months had already passed since the start of new classes. The Harvest break was nearing again. It was hard to believe it had been almost a year since he’d started caring for Alex. It felt shorter, but at the same time, like he’d been doing it forever.

“When was the last time you went home?” Barach asked. He was eating like he was starving, but he’d grown taller recently, passing even Remiel’s height. He was probably ravenous because he was fueling another growth spurt.

“The last time I went home…” Remiel thought about it for a bit. “I think three years ago? Nakir beat me with a belt that year, and when he was sober, I made him sign my academy waiver. Honestly, I think he’s as glad I’m not there as I am.”

“What’s a waiver?” asked Erem, his mouth stuffed with fruit.

Remiel broke Alex’s citron in half and sat the pieces back on the boy’s tray. “It means Archridge isn’t at fault if something happens to me during the weekends or holidays. I don’t need supervision to stay.” 

“And they gave that to you when you were thirteen?” asked Barach.

Shrugging, Remiel picked up his own fruit. He started peeling it slowly. He wasn’t in a hurry, because he knew Alex would take forever to pick at his dinner, especially since Gabriel was running late. “I’ve got a deal with the Headmaster.”

“You mean you work for Crispy,” said Erem. “Like his lackey.” 

Remiel got that a lot. He rolled his eyes. “I was allowed to go up to Marut by myself when I was your age. You still have to check in with your matron any time you leave the academy, don’t you, Erem?”

The blue-skinned boy’s cheeks flushed. Barach laughed, and Erem hit him. “It’s not funny!” the smaller boy cried. Barach pressed his lips together and chewed the food in his mouth silently, but he was still smiling. 

Erem glared at Remiel. “Well, you’re practically a matron yourself. You’re so boring. It’s lame to want to stick around here all break.”

“I’m staying for Alexiel this year. Gabriel informed me they aren’t returning home for the break either. Something about needing the time to study.” Remiel dropped the last of his peel on the tray and broke off a piece of the fruit. Alex glanced up at him, his black eyes unreadable. “I don’t mind staying, but Sophie actually invited me home with her for the Harvest.”

Barach frowned. “Gabe isn’t taking Alex back?”

“That’s what he said.”

Alex sat up straighter, looking past them. Remiel followed the boy’s gaze. Gabriel came storming through the hall, his eyes fierce like he had murder on his mind. He slammed a thick book on the table and sat heavily on the bench beside Erem. His straight silver hair drifted around him like it was charged with electricity.

Very calmly, taking another bite of food, Barach said, “Bad day?”

“Is wasn’t the Hunt, was it?” Erem asked, scanning Gabriel for any bruises.

“It wasn’t the fiend-taken Hunt,” Gabriel snarled, enraged. “It’s that mud-fucking Homm bastard and his flat-backed, fiend-taken tests!” He picked up the book and slammed it down again. His ice-blue eyes were furious. “I missed half the Isten-damned answers because he didn’t like my fucking labels!” 

Remiel felt like he should be covering Alex’s ears. When Gabriel was upset, he had the foulest mouth Remiel had ever heard in a boy that age. Maybe it was something he picked up among the older students in the advanced classes, but somehow, Remiel doubted it. 

Alex didn’t seem bothered by the language, but his wings tensed every time Gabriel slammed the book down. He watched his brother quietly.

“It’s just a test, Gabe,” said Barach, eating another scoop of rice. It was like he was purposefully antagonizing the silver-haired boy. They all knew how seriously Gabriel took his classes.

“I have passed every other test this month with a perfect score,” Gabriel declared. “I didn’t even get the math wrong, just the stupid, fiend-taken labels! Fuck!” He yelled in frustration, clenching his fists in his silver hair. He thudded his head down on the book, continuing to mutter curses against the cover. 

Barach finished off the food on his tray and grabbed the bread from Erem’s. The blue-skinned boy glared at him but didn’t try to take it back. “What’d the Homm say when you talked to him?”

Muffled against the book, Gabriel said, “That wingless bastard told me he wouldn’t give me special treatment just because I’m Ahnnak. When I complained, he picked up my test and ripped it in half.” Gabriel rolled his head, pressing his cheek against the leather. He lay looking out through the strands of silver hair draped across his face. “He told me I can retake it after the Harvest, but it’s already too late. I’ve got a zero for the month now.”

“That can’t be fair,” said Remiel. “Have you talked to the Headmaster?”

“That’s why I’m late,” said the boy, starting to cool off. “But it’s my word against Tassin’s, and Crispy took his side. He gave me a lecture about respecting instructors and not trying to get out of work just because of who my father is.” He clenched his teeth hard enough that Remiel could hear them grinding.

“At least he’s letting you retake it,” said Barach.

“Right, that’s good, isn’t it?” said Erem.

“After the Harvest.” Gabriel sat up, shaking his head. His silver hair settled straight around his shoulders, some of the charged energy slipping from the air around him. “And I’m sure he’ll find something else to mark wrong.”

“Speaking of the Harvest,” said Erem, “Why didn’t you tell us you weren’t going home?”

“It’s not a big deal. I need to study, and Alex is too young to fly himself, so we’re both staying here.”

“You’re staying to study?” Erem asked, sounding absolutely repulsed by the idea. “You can’t be serious, Gabe. That’s so lame.”

Gabriel glared at him. “Mind your own business, Erem.” 

“Even Remiel had plans this Harvest, and he’s the most boring person I’ve ever met. He had to cancel them to stay here with you and your brother.”

“Is that true?” Gabriel asked Remiel. 

“Not exactly, no.” Remiel didn’t know why the silver-haired boy made him so nervous. He always felt like saying the wrong thing would get him punched again. “It was just mentioned in passing.” Gabriel stared at him, like that answer wasn’t enough, and Remiel started fidgeting uncomfortably. He babbled on. “Sophie. Sophie mentioned it. That I could go home with her for the break. You know, meet her parents, that sort of thing.” He laughed nervously. “She also said Alex could come, but I didn’t think I’d be able to get permission from the Headmaster, your father, or-” he gulped, “-or you.”

“At least you were right about one thing,” said Gabriel. 

“Oh, c’mon, Gabe! That would have been perfect!” shouted Erem. “If Alex went with Remi to his girlfriend’s house, you could come with me to the beach.”

“I’m not letting Alex go anywhere alone for the Harvest,” said Gabriel. “And even if I did agree to let him go, do you really think our father would permit him to visit some random Terran family with no ties to an Isten?” He shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. We’re staying here.”

Erem’s mouth twisted in a frown. “You promised we would all get to go to the beach this year.”

“Not for the Harvest.”

“No. You said one of the summer breaks. But you and Barach spent every six-degree weekend playing in the stables, and now summer is over.”

“What’s your point, Erem? I’m not leaving Alex.” 

“Then bring him, too.”

“What, to the beach?” Gabriel looked at his little brother, who watched him silently with big black eyes.

“Yeah,” said Erem. He had made the suggestion absentmindedly but as he thought about it more, his eyes got wide. He started explaining, speaking faster as he got more excited. “It would totally work! Then Remiel gets to go to his girlfriend’s, and Alex stays with you, but we all go to the beach, and because my father is an Isten, your father won’t refuse the request! It’s perfect!” He grinned. “No one has to stay behind doing boring studying over the best holiday of the year.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” said Remiel, surprised to be agreeing with Erem about anything. 

Gabriel frowned a little, a crease forming between his silver brows. “Alex, I did tell you I would take you to see the ocean… Do you want to spend the Harvest with Erem’s family?”

“I still don’t know how to swim, Brother,” the little boy answered. 

That seemed to decide it for the silver-haired Ahnnak. “I’ll teach you. It’ll be fun. Alright, Erem, we’ll go. Can you ask your father to send the request? Jequn won’t refuse if it’s from another Isten.”

Erem beamed. “Sure, Gabe! I’ll write him tonight. This is going to be so much fun!” His wings opened with excitement, but he bumped Barach. The blue-skinned boy went suddenly still. He slowly turned to his other friend, an awkward smile twitching on his face. “Y-You can come, too, Barach. Of course.”

Barach’s eyes traveled up and down the boy beside him. His face maintained an expressionless mask. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your holiday with Gabe.” There was a dark tone behind his words, something Remiel almost read as jealousy. It was weird. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought there was something between the two boys.

Erem nervously licked his lips. “You’re not interrupting, Barach. I assumed you were coming already. Because it’s the Harvest. And we’re all friends.”

“You’re a worse liar than Gabe.” Barach stood up, snapping his wings out. He walked from the dining hall without looking back.

Gabriel frowned. “What’s his problem?”

Erem scratched the back of his neck. “I told him he was getting too tall earlier, and he must still be sore about it.” He stared after Barach, an expression of guilt on his face. 

“He can’t help how tall he gets, Erem.” Gabriel picked up the second half of Alex’s citron, raising an eyebrow. Alex nodded that he could have it. He smiled quickly at the younger boy, then took a big bite. With his mouth full, he said, “If you’re going to make fun of Barach, tease him about his arms. He did that to himself wrestling aurochs every day. There’s no reason he needs arms that thick.”

“Ha ha, yeah,” Erem laughed, but he didn’t have the enthusiasm he’d had before. “I better, um… I need to go. I’ll see you later, Gabe.” He stood, snapping his wings out behind him. 

“Don’t forget to write Harut,” said Gabriel. 

“On it.” Erem waved, then hurried out the same way Barach left. 

Remiel turned toward Gabriel. “Are you really sure about taking Alexiel to the beach with you?”

“We’ll be fine, Remi.”

“It’s a month. You’re going to have to watch him the whole time, and you can’t take your eyes off him when he’s near the water.”

Gabriel’s eye twitched. “Don’t tell me how to take care of my brother, Remiel.”

“I’m not telling you how to do anything. I’m just saying, Alexiel can be a handful sometimes.” He smiled down at the little boy. 

“I’ll try to be good,” said Alex, pushing the rest of his tray toward his brother. He hadn’t eaten over half of his food. 

“See? We’ll be fine,” said Gabriel. “You should focus on your girlfriend. You’re meeting her parents.” He stuffed the other half of Alex’s food in his cheeks. “They might not like you.”

Remiel huffed. “Other people’s parents love me. It’s not going to be a problem.”

“You probably weren’t sleeping with the other parents’ daughters,” said Gabriel, flashing a quick grin.

“Maybe,” said Remiel, losing a little of his confidence. 

Gabriel scraped the last bit of rice from Alex’s tray and stuffed it in his mouth. “I’m still running behind. I’ve got to grab my other work before the study group. Thanks for sharing your food, Alex. I wouldn’t have had time to get my own.” Gabriel reached across the table and ruffled the boy’s black hair. “You’re the best.” He got up, grabbed his book, and walked briskly from the dining hall.

Remiel sighed. The boy looked up at him and asked, “How far away is the ocean?”

“Far, Alexiel. You’re going to have trouble flying it. Just say the word, and I’ll stay here with you. You don’t have to go.”

“I want to go. I want you to go with Sophie, too. Do you think Uzzi will be mad I’m not with him?”

“He might, but you know how he is. His anger bursts out of him all at once, and then he’s over it, like a little volcanic eruption.” 

Remiel tucked his thick, brown hair behind his ears. He pinched his earlobe, thinking about the rings he’d seen some of the Homm wear pierced through their skin in Marut. He’d been planning on trying the style out over the Harvest break, but if he was meeting Sophie’s parents, he should probably wait. 

“I’m still hungry, Remiel,” said the young boy. 

“Yeah, Alexiel, I know.” He lowered his hand from his ear and got up. “Let’s go see if we can find some rotika.” The boy followed him back into the dinner line to get more food.


	43. Barachiel: 15th Degree of Predators, 594 DE

“Barach, wait up,” called Erem, running through the halls after him. Barach didn’t slow. Erem caught up to him, using his wings in the tight hall to make up the distance. He fell in step beside him, and touched his arm.

Barach shrugged away from the touch and kept walking. Erem stopped for a moment, his hand still outstretched, then he lowered it and ran after Barach again.

“I said wait.”

“I’m going out tonight,” Barach said, his voice hard.

“You’re running from me. I want to talk. Damn it, slow down, Barach.” Erem fluttered his wings again to put him back at Barach’s side.

“I am not running from you.” Barach slowed his pace slightly, enough that Erem could match his speed. “And haven’t you said enough already?”

“Fiends take you, Barach, why are you acting so jealous?”

Barach clenched his fist. He grabbed Erem’s arm and yanked him into one of the darkened halls that weren't used at this time of night. He pressed him against the wall, placing his forearm across his chest. “Why am I acting jealous, Erem?! How about because you had fucking hearts in your eyes inviting Gabe home with you for the break, and you barely remembered I was there.”

“I’m sorry.” Erem’s pale yellow eyes turned upward. He placed his hand against Barach’s chest. “I didn’t forget about you. I was just excited at the thought of getting to spend the holiday together. All three of us.”

“Would you have even invited me if I wasn’t there?”

“Of course I would, Barach. You’ve come home with me for break before. Why would this year be any different?”

“Because Gabe is going.”

“But so is his little brother. You honestly think he’s going to leave that brat alone long enough for something to happen between us?” Erem’s fingers traced circles across Barach’s chest. “I just thought it was a good idea to get us all out of the academy together for the Harvest. Nothing else. You know Gabe didn’t want to stay and study. He just doesn’t want to go home.”

Barach exhaled and stepped back, removing his arm from across Erem’s chest. “You’re always so worried about him.”

“Don’t act jealous, Barach. You know what my feelings are.” 

He did know, and he was jealous. Keeping their relationship hidden, yet watching Erem openly flirt with Gabriel, was maddening. “If I wasn’t with you every day, I think you would forget about me,” he said.

“I wouldn’t forget about you, Barach. You know I care for you, too.”

“Do you? I don’t think you think about me one moment we’re not together.”

Someone walked by the end of the hall, passing through the light, and the two Ahnnak boys stayed silent, standing in the shadows. The stone surrounding them felt cold and empty. Barach watched Erem, and wondered how long he could keep feeling like this before it consumed him.

When the main hall was clear again, Erem softly said, “I think about you all the time, Barach. I have dreams about you.” He stepped forward, moving close enough to touch, but not making the contact. “If I don’t act like I think about you, it’s because I know you’ll always be there for me. You’re practically a part of me, and I love you, Barach.”

Staring down into Erem’s pale yellow eyes in the dim hall, Barach could barely believe what he’d heard. He whispered, “You shouldn’t lie to me, Erem.”

“I’m not lying. I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I want you at my side forever.”

Erem looked sincere. The words were something Barach had always longed to hear from his boyfriend, but he’d never really believed Erem felt that way toward him. Part of him believed he was just lying to calm Barach down, but that was a small part, like a distant voice in the back of his mind. A voice that sounded a lot like Gabriel. 

“I love you, too, Erem. I always have.”

His boyfriend smiled and stood on his toes to kiss him. Barach wrapped his arms around his waist and embraced him, pressing their bodies together. Erem wrapped his arms around Barach’s neck, his fingers toying with Barach’s short hair while their kiss deepened.

Another person walked by the end of the hall, and Barach broke the kiss, pulling them deeper into the shadows. He held Erem against his chest, looking out, alert for any more movement. When he knew it was clear, he released his boyfriend and looked lovingly down into his eyes. 

Erem had a mischievous smile on his face. “You know, Barach, I really had planned on you spending the Harvest with me.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve been learning how to thicken water… keep it slippery. And I thought, if you were up for it, we could test it out as a lubricant.”

“As a…”

“I want to have sex with you, Barach,” said Erem, grinning. “During the Harvest break. If you’re up for it.”

Barach chuckled, slightly in disbelief. “Oh, I’m up for it.”

Erem’s hand slipped beneath the waist of Barach’s pants. “I thought you might be. Now we just need to decide who is going to be on top.”

“I’ll wrestle you for it,” said Barach. 

“I’ll swim you for it,” replied Erem, laughing. 

They grinned at each other and kissed, before slipping deeper into the shadows for a little more privacy.


	44. Gabriel: 1st Degree of Harvest, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harvest break - The boys are headed to the beach!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first book of the Rust Prophecies series just reached 1,000 hits! I'm so excited. To celebrate, I'm posting early this week, and sharing the whole month of the boys' vacation at the beach at once. I hope you enjoy their break as much as they do!

Jequn gave his permission for his sons to stay at the seaside manor of the Isten Harut for the Harvest. Gabriel knew he would. There was no way he could have refused the hospitality of another Isten without drawing unwelcome attention on all of them. 

The boys would have left for the beach as soon as the six-degree break started in Predators, but they had to wait for Alex to be well enough to fly. The delay came because there had been an explosion in the blacksmith specialization when Alex and Remiel were walking past the room, and the two Ahnnak boys had been impaled by a four cubit length rod of rebar. 

Gabriel couldn’t be too angry at Remiel this time. He had tried to protect Alex, but the force of the blast had launched the metal through Remiel’s abdomen, then through Alex’s chest, narrowly missing his heart. When Gabriel arrived at the scene, they were still skewered together while the medics and instructors worked to extract the metal without causing more damage to the two boys. 

Remiel’s back and wings had been covered in bits of shrapnel, and he had still been whining about that days later, but it seemed like he was doing it for his girlfriend’s attention rather than because he was really hurt. The girl was still doting on him the morning Gabriel left with Alex. The two older students said they were going to wait a couple more days before they left, too.

The medics cleared Alex to fly by the first of Harvest, and the four boys left immediately that morning. Even on a good day, Alex wasn’t great at flying long distances, but with a recently punctured lung, he was even slower. The boy tried to keep up without complaint, but when he got too tired, Gabriel and Barach started alternating who carried him. They arrived at the manor at dusk, which was a full three hours longer than the flight was supposed to take, and all of them were exhausted.

Erem’s mother, Coriel, greeted them, and brought them inside the dining room to feast. Alex got about three bites down before he fell asleep at the table.

“Poor dear,” said Coriel, smiling softly. “He’s awful young to travel that far.” 

“He’s nine, Mom. He’s not that young.” Erem shoved more of the kelp wrapped rice balls into his mouth. 

Coriel turned toward Gabriel. “You know, your mother and I attended Archridge at the same time. She’s only a decade younger than me.” She tucked her sand colored hair behind her ears.

It was difficult to swallow the rice in his mouth to answer. Gabriel was so tired, he wanted to put his head on the table and sleep, too, but he was too hungry to stop eating. He managed to choke the food down and respond. “You knew Liliel?”

Erem’s mother smiled. Her lips were slightly blue, like they’d been painted, but most of her skin was still a soft, sun-warmed olive. “Oh, your mother had the most beautiful voice. She would sing, up on the cliffs, and it would carry through the whole academy. No one ever had a clue that her genes were so defective.”

Gabriel glanced at Alex, with his black hair curled across the table around his sleeping face. _Defective_. That’s how the world would always see him. That’s how it would have to be to keep him safe. 

He picked up another ball of wrapped rice and said, “I guess I remember her singing when I was young, but she stopped not long after I started the academy.”

“With all that time she spends organizing parties and festivals, that doesn’t surprise me. Your mother just has a knack for getting events to come together. It would be too much chaos for me. I’ll take a quiet beach over a fancy party any night.” 

Barach shoved the last rice ball in his mouth, then got up. “I’ll carry Alex to bed.”

“I got him,” said Gabriel, standing as well. 

“You carried him for the last hour. Just relax. I got this. Do we have our regular rooms, Lady Coriel?” Barach bent down and effortlessly scooped Alex into his arms. The little boy didn’t wake at all, but curled against Barach’s chest.

“Yes. We were expecting you all earlier, so the servants already have them prepared.” She stood, smiling at them. “It would be best if you boys all get some rest. I’m sure it’s been a long day.”

Erem walked over and gave his mother a hug. “It’s good to see you, Mer.”

She hugged him and kissed the top of his head. “It’s good to see you, too, my little riptide. Go on. We’ll catch up tomorrow after you’ve had a chance to sleep.” She kissed each of his cheeks and sent him off to bed with the rest of them.

The back half of the Isten Harut’s manor was designed with a large, circular common area and six guest bedrooms surrounding it. Unlike Gabriel’s father’s secluded manor, the Isten Harut and his wife often invited guests over. 

The center of the common area contained a recessed pit filled with pillows and lined with toys. Even though Erem had his own room upstairs in the manor, he always stayed with his friends down there when they visited. 

Barach entered one of the prepared rooms and laid Alex on the low bed. Gabriel followed him in, just to check on the little boy. One of Alex’s wings twitched, but otherwise, he didn’t stir at all. 

“You think he’ll be okay here?” Barach asked, showing an odd amount of concern over the little boy. 

“I’ll take the room next door. He might be disoriented when he wakes up, but I’ll hear him.” He placed a light blanket over his brother. It wasn’t cold there, but the breeze off the ocean sometimes put a chill in the air. 

He followed Barach out of the room to find Erem picking up the wooden toys along the edge of the recessed pit and putting them up on a high shelf. When he saw Gabriel and Barach watching him clean up, he said, “They’re Ar’s toys. She’ll cry if Alex breaks them.”

Gabriel almost snapped, _He’s not going to break them_ , but caught himself. There’d been enough incidents with Alex and his roommates’ belongings at the academy that it was probably a fair assumption.

“I’ll help.” Gabriel was tired, and wanted to lie down, but he helped Erem pick up the last of the toys.

Barach sucked a bit of rice out of his teeth while he watched them. “Hey Gabe, if I ask you a question, can you promise not to get mad?”

“No.” He picked up a wooden shark and handed it to Erem. “Any time you start a conversation with that, it already makes me mad.”

Barach frowned a bit, looking back over his shoulder at the room Alex slept in. He turned back to Gabriel. “Why does he smell so good?”

Angrily, Gabriel asked, “Why were you sniffing my little brother? What’s wrong with you?”

“I carried him for five hours today. It’s not like I did it on purpose. Once he stopped shaking, it was hard to notice anything else.”

“What does he smell like?” asked Erem curiously. “I’m going to go sniff him while he’s still asleep.”

Gabriel grabbed his arm, his fingers digging into his blue flesh. “Stop. Nobody is sniffing Alex.”

“Fine.” Erem jerked away from him. “Then tell me what he smells like.”

“He doesn’t smell like anything. You both need to stop acting strange.” 

“Don’t tell me you never noticed. Come here.” Barach reached over, wrapping his arm around Gabriel’s neck, putting him in a headlock. He pressed his nose into Gabriel silver hair and inhaled deeply.

Gabriel struggled, but he couldn’t break free from Barach’s thick arm. “Stop it! Get off me!” 

Barach released him after taking a few more breaths. Gabriel swung to punch the older boy, but he stepped just out of reach. “Calm down, Gabe. I just had to check. You probably haven’t noticed because he smells like you. I mean, sort of. It’s a lot stronger on him, but it’s really similar.”

Straightening his clothes angrily, Gabriel said, “I do not smell weird.”

“I didn’t say ‘weird.’ I said ‘good.’ Like, delicious.” Barach grinned at him with a crooked smile.

Gabriel wanted to punch his smug face. “I am going to bed. I am too tired to deal with this shit tonight.” 

“Don’t get mad, Gabe. I’m just kidding.” Barach yawned and stretched his arms over his head. His wings gave a slight flutter against his back. “But it is late. We should all get some rest.”

Erem yawned, too. He rubbed his eyes sleepily. “We should. I want to get up early and go swimming tomorrow.”

“If you guys wake up before me, don’t let Alex near the water,” said Gabriel. 

“I can watch him. Besides, maybe the ocean will make him smell normal.”

Gabriel made a rude gesture at Barach for that unnecessary comment, then went into the guest room next to Alex. 

“Good night, Gabe!” Erem called after him. He snapped the door shut and heard his two friends laughing. They were such jerks. He flopped down on the bed, not even bothering to take off the day’s clothes, and passed out.


	45. Alex: 2nd Degree of Harvest, 594 DE

The shriek of an unfamiliar bird woke Alex. His black eyes shot open, and he found himself in a strange room with no recollection of how he got there. The air smelled of salt and sand, and there was a rumble in the distance, like the continuous growl of a large beast. A surge a panic passed through him, before he heard his brother’s familiar laughter outside the closed door of the room. 

_Gabriel_. The ocean. The Harvest break.

Deep, calming breaths renewed the ache in his chest. He placed his palm over the pale mark below his heart where the metal rod had entered his body. He knew there was a matching mark on his back, just below where his wings sprouted. He had been lucky to not have his wing punctured as well. If Remiel hadn’t been there, hadn’t shielded Alex from the force of the blast, it could have turned out very different. If Alex had been hit by the full blast, speared through his heart and wing, the medics probably wouldn’t have allowed him to leave for the Harvest at all.

Alex slid off the bed, stepping bare foot onto the smooth wooden planks. He walked to the door and opened it a crack, peeking out into the bright, round room. 

Barach sat at the far edge of the pit, wings spread. He opened his mouth, and caught a grape thrown at him by Gabriel, who lounged low on the closer side of the pit, grinning. Gabriel threw another, just as Erem walked into the room. The blue-skinned boy darted forward and knocked the grape from the air just before Barach caught it.

Laughing, Barach grabbed Erem around the waist. “That’s it! You’re done for!” His fingers dug into Erem’s belly while the blue-skinned boy laughed and struggled to escape his grasp. 

A little girl with blue skin, barely as high as Alex’s hip, ran over and smacked Barach with a wooden fish. “Be nice!” she said in a squeaky little voice. “Let my Eri go!” 

“Then should I come after you?” asked Barach, grinning wide. He turned toward her, reaching out with wiggling fingers. 

“No, Bar! No!” She shrieked and ran away giggling. She didn’t go far.

“Alex, you’re awake.” Gabriel leaned back, looking at him upside down. “It’s nearly lunchtime. I wasn’t sure you were ever going to wake up.” 

Nervously, Alex opened the door and stepped out of the guest room. Barach released Erem and sat cross legged on the floor beside him. “We’ve already been down to the beach this morning. You missed your brother getting knocked down by a wave.”

“It didn’t knock me down, Barach,” said Gabriel irritably. “The sand slipped out from under my feet, and the wave hit me in the face.”

Barach slowly tilted his hand down, miming the way Gabriel had fallen, then smacked his hands together. “Like a rock.” 

Gabriel glared at his older friend, then turned back to his brother. “Come here, Alex. Come meet Ar.” 

He walked over to Gabriel as his brother coaxed the little girl closer. She was small, with chubby thighs and arms, and bright blue skin. Blond ringlets stuck out around her head and her sleek white wings. Her round cheeks looked purple. She stared up at Alex with curious yellow eyes. 

“Ar, this is my little brother, Alexiel,” said Gabriel. “I told you I didn’t make him up. Alex, this is Ariel. She’s four, and all the toys around here are hers, so please don’t break them.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said. 

“Do you like sharks, Lexi?”

“I-It’s Alex,” he said, saying his shortened name awkwardly. 

“ _Sharks_ , Lexi.” She held up the wooden toy in her hands. It was a thick, round creature with a lot of teeth on one end. “They are my favorite. I call her Chompy. Big Chompy lives in the ocean.” She clutched the shark to her chest. “I want to live in the ocean too, but Mer says no.” 

Alex looked to Gabriel for help, but his brother just grinned at him. “She’s little. Play nice.”

The little girl grabbed Alex’s fingers and pulled him along to the other side of the room where a few wooden sea creatures were arranged. “You can be the Tactopus,” she said, shoving a carved creature into his hands. The intricate swirls of its multiple legs were so elaborate, Alex was almost afraid to hold it. He really did not want to break something already. 

He knelt beside Ar, setting the figure on the floor in front of him. She made her shark swim in the air around them, and didn’t seem to mind that he didn’t say anything. He sat there, listening to her play and handing her whatever toy she pointed at. The older boys started laughing and joking around, but they were always kind of rough and mean with each other, so he didn’t mind staying off to the side.

The Terran woman from last night, Erem’s mother, Lady Coriel, walked into the room. “Lunch, my dears. Come along.” She held out her arms as Ar ran over to her, leaping into the air to wrap her chubby blue arms around her mother’s neck. They led the way out of the room.

Alex got up and followed Gabriel through the manor to the sunlit dining room. He barely recognized it, though he knew he’d been in it last night. Everything had been so dark then, and he was very tired. 

Gabriel, Alex, and Barach sat on one side of the table, while Coriel, Ar, and Erem sat on the other. The head of the table remained empty.

“Is Pah joining us?” Erem asked, reaching for a spiky fruit from the large platter of food in the middle. 

Coriel took some of the cut pieces of food and placed them before Ar. The little girl grabbed them in her fists and started stuffing them in her mouth. “He’ll be down in a moment,” said Coriel. “He was finishing up a transcript.”

Barach and Gabriel both started eating. Alex hesitated. If the Isten was going to come down, shouldn’t they wait? He didn’t want to get in trouble. Gabriel handed him a piece of fruit. “Eat,” he insisted. 

Alex accepted the fruit and nibbled at it. As soon as the juice hit his tongue, he realized how famished he was. He devoured it quickly, and when Gabriel handed him another, he didn’t hold back.

“Are you boys planning on going to the beach again this afternoon?” asked Coriel.

“Yes, ma’am,” said Barach. 

“We might even check out the caves at low tide,” said Erem. 

“Now, Eremiel, you remember if the ocean starts coming in, you go out the back. Don’t try to fight the current.”

“I know, Mer. I’m not a little kid anymore.” Erem rolled his eyes. 

“I’m your mother, I get to worry. Besides, Alexiel hasn’t been here before. He doesn’t know.”

Alex froze when she said his name, glancing over like he was in trouble. Gabriel said, “Don’t worry, Lady Coriel. I’m not taking Alex into the caves. We’ll stick to the shore, at least for a few days.”

Erem bit into a fuzzy fruit that dripped sticky juice down his chin. “Yeah, Mer, Alex doesn’t even know how to swim yet.”

“I can swim!” exclaimed Ar, holding up her blue hand. “I’ll show you! It’s easy.”

Coriel smiled at her youngest and kissed her head. “And you’re a very good swimmer, aren’t you my little shark?”

“Yes!” She chomped at the air a couple times, then grinned.

Heavy footsteps came from the hall, the sound reverberating through the floorboards. Alex’s wings tightened against his back. He quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, and set the remainder on the table. He placed his hands in his lap and clenched his fists, trying to control the tremor in his body at the sound of the approaching Isten.

The Isten Harut entered the dining room. Blond hair was piled atop his head in a thick knot. His skin, what could be seen of it, was a deep olive tone. Silver tattoos patterned every inch of his body in intricate designs that glimmered in the light. Some of them looked like writing, some of them looked like scenes, but they contained more detail than Alex could identify before he quickly averted his gaze. 

Harut walked across the room, his thick cloak of six wings draped down his back. He stopped behind Coriel and leaned over her, placing a gentle kiss atop her head. She smiled up at him as he traced the edge of her wings, then he sat at the head of the table. 

“Sorry about being late,” said Harut, smiling at them. “Glad I made it before you boys ate all my food. I forgot how fast teenage boys can eat.” He chuckled. 

Gabriel bowed his head to the Isten. “Lord Isten, thank you for allowing my brother and I to stay with you in your home for the Harvest.”

Alex bowed his head, too, letting his black hair slide around his face. It was easier to sit there if he didn’t have to see anything.

“Of course, Gabriel. Any friend of Eremiel’s is welcome here any time. I’m pleased your father could spare you.” His iridescent yellow eyes shifted to Alex. “This is your little brother?”

Gabriel nudged Alex, and he briefly glanced up. The Isten’s eyes were on him, and fear shot through him. Alex ducked his head, hiding his face behind his brother’s arm. Gabriel sighed loudly. “Yes. This is Alex. He’s shy.”

A laugh rumbled through Harut’s chest. “No need to be shy here, Alexiel. I won’t bite.” 

Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, Alex pressed his face against Gabriel. His brother opened his wing and draped it over Alex’s head and shoulders, cocooning him in feathers and softening the glow of the room. “I’m sorry, Isten. It’s nothing personal. I’m sure he’ll adjust in a few days.”

Alex seriously doubted that. The Isten was terrifying.

“Don’t worry about it, Gabriel. Some children just take a little longer to adapt. Why, I remember when Eremiel was five, and we took him to orientation at Archridge, he was so worried about staying that he clung to my leg and cried for an hour.”

“ _Pah, stop_ ,” Erem hissed, his cheeks turning purple. 

“But wouldn’t you know it? By the time we picked him up for Harvest, all he could talk about was his new friend who had hair the color of my tattoos.” Harut laughed as Erem groaned and thudded his head on the table. “It was surprising to find he’d made friends with Jequn’s heir, though.”

Ar bounced on the bench between Erem and her mother. “I’m going to be friends with all the fishes at the academy!” she exclaimed.

Coriel touched her nose. “There’s no fish at Archridge, sweetie.”

The little girl stared up at her mother as if she’d just said something inconceivable. “Then I’ll marry a fish and all our babies will live at Archridge.”

“You can’t marry a fish, Ar,” said Erem, turning toward his sister.

“I’m gonna marry Big Chompy,” the girl declared.

“You can’t marry a shark, either,” insisted her brother.

Ar pouted a little bit. She looked across the table. “Then I’ll marry Lexi.” Alex peeked out from under Gabriel’s wing at her.

Harut had just taken a bite of food, and he immediately coughed and swallowed it whole. Quickly, he said, “My little sea sprite, you cannot marry Alexiel. He is an Ahnnak and he’s…” He didn’t say defective, but it was on the tip of his tongue. “He’s the son of an Isten, and it is not proper for our children to be together. I will find you a nice Terran husband when you are old enough, one to match you.”

Erem licked fruit juice from his lips and said, “No one matches us, Pah. She’d have better luck marrying the shark.”

“Eremiel, watch your tone,” said the Isten, his words sharp.

“Sorry, Pah.” Erem looked down. He flicked a piece of fruit across the table. “It’s true, though.”

The Isten gave a disappointed click of his tongue. The sound made Alex flinch. Harut said, “There is nothing wrong with the color of your skin. It was an unintended effect of procreating on Ter, but it could be worse. Faesolis has offspring who are covered in fur. Her anomaly has been passed down six generations already. With the right wife, your offspring will be barely tinted.”

Erem’s lip curled back, but he still didn’t look at his father. “I don’t want a wife. Or offspring.”

“You are Ahnnak, you will do as I tell you.” The Isten’s words were crisp, leaving no room for argument. Alex felt chills run down his spine.

Coriel smiled and laughed, dissolving some of the tension. “Well, I think your skin is just the prettiest shade of blue I’ve ever seen.” She hugged Ar beside her. “My children are both perfect just as they are.”

The little girl stuck another piece of food in her mouth and said, “I like blue. It’s my favorite.”

Harut relaxed a little, but his iridescent eyes remained on Erem. “We all have to do our duty to this planet. The effects can be unexpected sometimes. Even Jequn, who delayed for centuries while adjusting the code of the Terran in his service, wasn’t unable to maintain complete consistency.” He turned to Gabriel and Alex. “I mean no disrespect toward your father. He’s a brilliant geneticist, but he’s not nearly as flawless as he likes to appear. He was fortunate to achieve an heir who resembled him as much as you, Gabriel, but besides the fact that you both carry his scent, Alexiel holds very little resemblance to his lineage, and I doubt that flaw occurred solely in your mother.”

Alex felt his heart stop. He couldn’t breathe. Gabriel’s wings gave a little tremor, but somehow his older brother managed to keep his composure. “What do you mean, sir?” 

“I don’t think it’s possible for your father, who has been monitoring the house of your mother for generations, to have overlooked something as simple as the possibility for black hair. I think it was something within himself that caused the mutation, as well as the unfortunate illness Alexiel endured, but he has too much pride to admit that.” Harut huffed and picked up a piece of fruit. “Though I suppose pride is something we are all guilty of.” He ate the fruit and looked at Barach, who had been silently eating up until now. “Speaking of pride, how is your mother doing?”

“She is well, Isten,” answered Barach. “She sends her regards, and told me to tell you ‘It’s not red.’”

A laugh burst from Harut. “She would say that. Alright. I’ll see her next month, and I’ll talk with her then.” He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. “‘Not red.’ Absurd.”

Gabriel picked up a plum and passed it under his wing to Alex. He whispered, “You need to eat.”

He took the fruit from his brother, but just held it while the rest of them finished lunch.

When they were done, Ar stood up and shouted, “Beach! Beach! I want to go swimming!”

Erem stuffed the last piece of fruit into his mouth, barely chewing it before he swallowed and said, “Yeah, we’re going to go, too.”

“Honey, can you get Ariel ready?” asked Coriel of her husband. 

“Sure.” Harut stood and walked around the table. “Come here, my little sea sprite. Let’s get your wings primed.” 

The little girl held her hands up to her father, and he scooped her up, tickling her belly as he carried her out of the room. She giggled the whole way.

“You boys make sure you take care of your wings before going out, too,” said Coriel.

“Mer, we already did it this morning,” whined Erem. 

“It’s always good to apply more oil before going back in the water.” She looked to Alex as Gabriel retracted his wing from over him. “Alexiel, dear, have you ever been gone swimming before?”

Alex peered around Gabriel’s arm at her. “No, Lady Coriel. Not on purpose.”

“I can help get you ready, if you’d like. We use a special oil here to coat your wings while swimming. It’s a little denser than the standard flight oil, but it’ll keep your feathers streamlined in the water.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” said Gabriel, “but I’ll help Alex get ready.” 

“You’re so darling, Gabriel. Eremiel, why can’t you be that helpful with your little sister?”

“Because Pah can just wave his hands over her wings and be done. If you want to be helpful, ask Pah to coat Alex’s wings too. It’d be faster.”

Alex grabbed Gabriel’s arm hard, his nails biting into his brother’s skin as panic surged through him. Gabriel flinched, and Alex pressed his face against Gabriel’s back, begging, “Please don’t let the Isten touch me, please, please.”

“Ouch!” Gabriel hissed. He pried Alex’s fingers off of his arm. “Hush, Alex, it’s alright. I’m going to help you. Don’t freak out.”

“Come on kid,” said Barach, standing behind Alex. “Let’s go outside for a bit and get some air.” 

Alex didn’t want to leave Gabriel, but he didn’t want to stay there either. Outside sounded good. He got up, following Barach as he guided him out of the manor. 

Behind them, he heard Coriel ask, “Is he always so shy?”

Rubbing his arm, Gabriel answered, “Yes. We’re working on it.”

The fresh sea air was a relief as they stepped onto the grassy dune outside the Isten Harut’s sprawling manor. Alex stood beside Barach and breathed in deep. He looked to the shore as the crash of waves broke on the sand. The horizon stretched forever, a curved blue line of water with no end. 

Alex exhaled slowly, feeling his heart calm.

“What do you think of the ocean?” asked Barach.

“It’s big,” he said. “A lot bigger than I thought.” 

“You doing okay?”

“No,” he admitted. He looked up at Barach. “Can you sing for me again?” 

Barach’s mouth twitched in a quick smile. “You said you would keep it a secret.”

Alex bit his lip. “No one else is outside…”

“Alright. Just for a little while. Let’s go sit on the hill.” Alex followed the older Ahnnak over to sit on the hill overlooking the horizon. He sat close to him, at his side, but kept a careful distance between them. 

Then Barach started to sing, very low, and Alex felt himself relax as the comforting melody surrounded him. 

The flight in had been hard. Alex’s chest still hurt, and using his wings hurt, but he wanted to go with them. He didn’t want to complain and be left behind, but when he couldn’t fly anymore, Gabriel had carried him. Then when his added weight got to be too strenuous for Gabriel, Barach took over. 

Being held by Barach was distressing. Alex wanted to fight against him, even if that meant being dropped, but he didn’t, because he didn’t want to cause more trouble for his brother than he already had. They flew higher than the other two, riding on the updrafts for as long as possible, when Barach said, “Can you keep a secret?”

“Yes,” Alex replied, the wind whipping his words away as soon as he said them. 

Barach spoke, but it was clear. He threw his voice to be heard over the rushing air currents. “When I got hurt, my mother used to sit at my side and sing to me. It was an old song from before Ahn that her father taught her. Do you want to hear it?”

Alex nodded his head, because his voice wouldn’t work. Then Barach started to sing, the melody low and deep, vibrating through Barach’s chest and into Alex’s body. The words were foreign and unfamiliar, but the melody was soothing. Before long, Alex found he didn’t mind being held by Barach as much.

On the hill by the ocean, listening to him sing that low song again, Alex felt the same way. He felt relaxed and calm, nearly peaceful.

The melody cut off as Erem stuck his head out the door and shouted, “Come on! Gabe and I are ready to go! Stop messing around and get in here!”

“Are you ready to return?” Barach asked. 

Alex nodded. He did feel better. “Yes. Thank you, Barachiel.” 

“You’re welcome, little Lexi.” 

Alex blushed. “Don’t call me that.”

Laughing, Barach said, “I’m just teasing you. Ar is young, and she only catches parts of people’s names. It’s cute, though.” 

“I don’t like it,” he muttered, following Barach back into the house. 

“You should hear what she calls Gabe.”

“What who calls me?” Gabriel asked, rubbing his hands off on a towel. There was a thick shine to his feathers, and he smelled like coconut. 

“Ar,” answered Barach. “It’s cute.” 

“It’s not cute,” insisted Gabriel, frowning.

“It is pretty cute, Gabby.”

“Don’t.” Gabriel glared at Barach, but the older boy just laughed.

“Come on, guys. My parents already took Ar down to the beach,” said Erem. “I want to go swimming.”

“Fine, then help me with my wings,” said Barach. “Since you’re in so much of a hurry.”

Erem hesitated a moment, picking up a bottle with a weird nozzle on top. “You sure?”

Barach turned, spreading his wings wide. “Hurry up, already.” 

Shaking the bottle, Erem stepped up behind him. He squeezed the trigger on the nozzle, and a fine mist of oil burst out, coating Barach’s feathers. Erem slowly moved it back and forth over Barach’s wings, saturating them fully with the oil. Erem finished the back, then moved around the front, standing within the curve of Barach’s wings to coat the inside. When everything was coated, he sprayed extra oil on his hands, then some in Barach’s hands, and tossed the bottle to Gabriel. 

“Thanks. Sit here, Alex.” Gabriel pointed at a stool, which Alex perched on while his brother started dousing his wings in the oil. He watched Erem and Barach, each working on one of Barach’s wings, pressing their oiled hands through the feathers, creating a solid barrier against water. 

Barach was trying to be calm about it, but Alex noticed a slight tremor to his hands. Maybe he didn’t like Erem touching his wings, either. Seemed strange that he would have asked for help then.

The thick oil was heavy, and Alex felt his wings sag under the added weight. “I don’t think I can fly like this,” he said.

“We’ll walk to the beach. It’s not far,” explained Gabriel. 

Erem and Barach finished up, and Barach took a towel, holding it before his body as he dried his hands. He cleared his throat and stiffly said, “I’m going to wait outside. A moment. Until you’re ready.”

Gabriel gave him a strange look, but said, “I’m almost done. I need the towel.”

“Erem will find you a different one.”

“I will? What’s wrong with-” A look from Barach stopped him mid sentence. “Um, yeah. I’ll be right back.” He ran off and Barach stood there for an awkward couple of second, before turning and going back outside, taking the towel with him.

“I swear those two get weirder every year,” Gabriel muttered as he sprayed oil on his hands and started working it over Alex’s feathers. 

The steady strokes of Gabriel’s hands down his wings made him feel like he was being pet. It was different than preening. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but the firm, constant contact was nearly too much sensation for him. His wings started to twitch and jerk away as Gabriel touched him, and it took all of his control not to leap off the stool and hide. 

“There. I’m done,” Gabriel finally said.

Alex shook out his wings, then folded them against his back. His feathers were heavy, and he felt like he was going to fall backward when he stood up. 

Erem returned and tossed Gabriel a new towel. “Are we ready to go now?” 

“Yes, we’re good.” Gabriel wiped his hands off on the towel, then grinned at Alex. “Ready to swim in the ocean?”

He nodded, though he wasn’t sure he actually was. They left the manor, met up with a more composed Barach outside, and started toward the beach.

Hot sand covered the path down to the water. They neared the shore, and Erem waved to his mother and father, but they didn’t join them. Alex couldn’t see the little girl at first, until she started splashing. Her blue skin blended into the water completely. 

Erem whooped and ran straight toward the waves. He leaped, gliding a short distance over the surface of the water before dropping in. He disappeared beneath the surface, only the flash of white from his wings making him visible as he shot further out to sea.

When Erem broke the surface, flinging his hair back from his face, he shouted, “Hurry up Barach! You’re too slow!”

“Is that a challenge?” Barach shouted back.

“If you’re man enough!” 

“Oh, you’re on!” Barach jogged into the water, the dove forward, swimming out to Erem. 

Gabriel watched them for a bit, smiling slightly. “Barach is going to lose,” he mused.

They stood at the edge of the ocean, the wet sand sinking every time the water came up to lap at Alex’s toes. The water was warm, refreshing after the hot sand on the path. 

“Why is he going to lose?” asked Alex, watching his feet every time the clear water swept across the sand to touch him.

“It’s Erem. This-” he motioned to the ocean, “-is where he thrives. Come on, let’s go deeper.” Gabriel took Alex’s hand and pulled him further into the ocean. It got a lot harder to keep his balance as the waves started colliding with his knees, then hips. When the water receded, it reminded Alex of the pull of water beneath the waterfall, trying to drag him down. 

He held Gabriel’s hand tightly. “Don’t let me go.” 

Hearing the worry in his voice, Gabriel squeezed his hand and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

While Erem and Barach played further out, Gabriel and Alex remained close enough to shore that they could always stand. Gabriel started teaching Alex how to float, then how to use his arms, legs, and wings to move through the water. They both got knocked down by waves a few times, and Alex swallowed a lot of salt water, but it was fun. 

After a couple hours, Coriel and Harut walked by carrying Ar. She was asleep against Harut’s shoulder, and he supported her with one arm, while he held his wife’s hand with the other. 

“Eremiel, we’re going back,” the Isten called, throwing his voice so his son could clearly hear him. 

“Yeah, Pah!” Erem called back. “Can we have a bonfire tonight?”

“I’ll start one at sunset. Watch out for each other.” 

“We will!” Erem exclaimed, then dove under the water again. 

The Isten and his wife went back up to the manor, still holding hands. When they were out of sight, Gabriel turned and looked at Alex hiding behind him. “Just because you hide behind me doesn’t mean they can’t see you,” he said.

“He reminds me of Jequn,” Alex whispered, pressing his face between his brother’s wings.

“We’re guests in their home, Alex. You can’t run around acting scared of him all the time. It’s rude. You have to try to at least be polite.”

“I’ll try, Brother.” 

Barach came up behind them, wrapping his arms around both of them at once, and flinging them back. He tossed the brothers deeper into the water, but not far enough that Alex couldn’t stand. 

Alex emerged from the water gasping, his long black hair stuck to his face. Gabriel surfaced swearing, but Erem grabbed his leg beneath the water and yanked him back down. 

When they both came up for air, Gabriel yelled, “That’s it, you’re dead!” and swam after Erem. 

Barach touched Alex’s arm, helping him keep his feet as another wave washed over them. The water was up to Alex’s shoulders, though it barely reached Barach’s chest. He crouched so more of him was covered and he was closer to eye level with Alex. “Sorry,” he said, though he was smiling and clearly didn’t mean it. “You okay?”

Nodding, Alex said, “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“What do you think of the ocean so far?”

“It tastes strange.” 

Barach laughed. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.” 

After a while, Erem swam back over with Gabriel hanging from his back, just along for the ride. When Erem stopped before Barach and Alex, Gabriel rested his chin on Erem’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around his neck. 

“You guys finish your race earlier?” the silver-haired boy asked.

“Yes,” said Barach. 

“Who won?”

“I did,” Barach answered, sounding very smug about the outcome.

Gabriel pinched Erem’s cheek. “What? You lost?” 

“I got a cramp! He barely won! It won’t happen again.” Erem ducked beneath the water, pulling Gabriel down with him. 

The four boys played in the ocean for the rest of the afternoon until the sun began to set. There was a burst of flame up on the shore, and Alex turned, startled. Harut had started a fire in a huge stack of dry logs and branches. He waved to them, and started walking back to the manor.

“Oh, he brought dinner, too!” Erem exclaimed, running out of the water for the first time in hours. The rest of them followed, and Alex found it strange to be standing on ground that wasn’t trying to slide out from under him. They all shook out their wings, and sat near the fire, passing around the basket and grabbing leaf wrapped bundles of rice and beans. With the sun down, the air grew chill, and the warmth of the large fire was welcome. 

The oil had kept their wings mostly dry and smooth, even with a whole day of being submerged in the water. Sand clung to Alex’s legs and feet as he sat and listened to the older boys talk. They weren’t watching him, so he didn’t think they saw how much he ate until Gabriel and Barach both passed him their last rice balls. He was hungry enough that he didn’t refuse, and quickly ate them both.

When he finished eating, Alex lay down in the warmth of the fire, listening to his brother and his friends talk and laugh while the stars grew brighter overhead. His body was sore and tired from struggling against the ocean, but the hours they spent in the water had been fun. If this was what a holiday on the beach was like, he wished he never had to leave.


	46. Barachiel: 2nd Degree of Harvest, 594 DE

“Alright, guys, goodnight. I’m taking Alex to bed, but I think done, too.” Gabriel stood up and stretched, reaching up over his head with his arms and wings. “You both staying up a while more?”

“Yeah, I’m not tired yet,” said Erem.

“Me neither,” said Barach. “Do you need help carrying Alex up?”

“I got him. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” 

Barach watched as Gabriel picked up his sleeping brother and adjusted the boy in his arms. Swimming all day had worn the small child out, but he seemed to enjoy playing in the water with them.

“Night, Gabe,” Erem called, watching their silver-haired friend walk back up the path to the manor. Barach watched the firelight dance in his boyfriend’s yellow eyes as he gazed after Gabriel.

When the brothers were out of sight, and the only sound was the crackle of fire, Barach leaned over and placed a soft kiss against Erem’s cheek. “I love you.”

Erem looked nervously at the manor, then smiled at Barach. “I love you, too, but… We shouldn’t kiss. Not here.” 

“Why? No one can see us.”

“Harut could, and if he sees you kiss me, he’s going to ask questions, and he’s not going to like the answers.” 

“If I can’t kiss you beside the fire, should we go back to the water, so I can steal another kiss beneath the waves?”

Erem bit his lip and looked thoughtfully toward the ocean. “What if… What if we go to the caves?”

“The caves?”

“They’ll be mostly dry now, and they’re quiet. No one will come looking for us there.” He looked over, his eyes saying more than his words. “I mean, you did win the race after all.”

Barach leaned forward, keeping a careful distance between them, though he desperately wanted to kiss his boyfriend again. “You lost on purpose,” he whispered, gazing deeply into Erem’s eyes. 

The blue-skinned boy swallowed nervously. “If you don’t want to go, just say so.”

Barach stood, holding his hand out to help Erem up. “I’ll go anywhere with you Erem, if that’s what you really want.”

Erem didn’t hesitate. He took Barach’s hand and stood. “Let’s go.”

Harut had dropped off a couple blankets with the dinner basket, and they took those with them as they walked away from the crackling fire into the darkness. Barach had been there often enough with Erem before that the surroundings were familiar, though he still relied on Erem to find the hidden path that led to the backside of the caves. 

They entered the cold stone, weaving through the narrow gap until the cave opened up. The sound of the ocean splashing against the seaside entrance echoed though the stone passages. Barach could barely see, so he held Erem’s hand, and allowing his boyfriend to guide him through the dark. 

“Step up,” Erem whispered, as if speaking too loud in that place would disturb the stillness surrounding them. 

They reached a wall with hollowed nooks, and climbed up, arriving at Erem’s hideout. It was a hollow area of the stone where a large boulder previously sat, but it had fallen years ago, eroded by the water. Erem drew a sigil on the wall and placed his hand against it, activating a soft blue glow all around them. 

Erem placed one of the blankets down on the smooth floor, then took Barach’s hand and knelt with him.

In the sigil’s light, Barach’s skin looked just as blue as Erem’s. He stared into Erem’s pale yellow eyes, knowing his boyfriend could see better in the low light than he could. “Can I kiss you now?” he asked.

Erem smiled crookedly. “You’ve never asked before.”

Barach leaned in, pressing their mouths together. Erem tasted like the ocean. Warmth radiated from his skin after a day in the sun. His hands touched Barach’s chest and belly, seeking and impatient. The kiss deepened while Erem’s fingers unlaced Barach’s pants and slid them down over his hips.

Erem pulled back, breathing hard. “I know how I want to do this.”

“You do?” asked Barach, a little breathless himself. 

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I even… I even talked to some boys who had done it before.” 

“You talked to people about having sex with me?”

Embarrassed, Erem gave Barach’s chest a light shove. “I didn’t talk about _you_. I just asked them how they’d done it, and if it hurt.” 

“And?”

His wings gave a weak flutter against his back and he said, “I think I understand the idea, but… I want to go slow. C-Can you just lie on your back and let me do it? At least until it’s in.” 

Barach’s erection throbbed as Erem’s fingers found him, lightly stroking up and down the sides. “I’ll do whatever you want, Erem.”

They kissed again, then Erem pushed Barach down onto the blanket. He almost stretched across the whole length of the hollow, and he felt his feathers sticking over the edge on one side, but he was fairly comfortable. He put his arms behind his head, watching his boyfriend, equally curious and excited to see what he would do. 

For a bit, Erem just knelt beside Barach’s naked body, running his hands over every part of him. He drew his nails down Barach’s chest, but he was gentle, not leaving any marks that would last until morning. He was being cautious. 

When Erem’s hand wrapped around his stiff shaft, Barach moaned. His boyfriend’s touch felt so good, and Erem knew just what he liked. He bent down, opening his mouth, and drawing half of Barach’s length through his lips. He sucked and licked, until Barach had to touch his hair and whisper, “Slow down. You’re going to make me come.”

“Sorry,” said Erem, grinning up at him sheepishly. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”

“Me too, Erem. If you don’t want-”

“I want to. I mean, it’s fair. You won the race and-”

“Erem.”

“I _want_ to do this Barach. This is how I want our first time to be, so please don’t try to stop me.”

“I won’t. I love you, Erem.” 

“I love you, too. Okay. I’m going to apply the lubricant now. Tell me if it stings.”

“Stings?!”

“I’m joking,” laughed Erem, summoning a bubble of water between his hands. “It won’t hurt. I already tested it on myself.”

“Not funny,” Barach grumbled, watching Erem draw the moisture from the air. That close to the ocean, there was plenty of water for him to pull from, unlike at the academy, where he needed be near the waterfall to conjure fully. The water in his hands didn’t respond like normal, though. It had a thick, sluggish appearance. Barach was curious how Erem was doing it, though not enough to bring it up now and break his concentration.

Erem lowered the conjured lubricant to Barach’s erect penis, passing it over his skin until it coated him in a thick, gelatinous layer. When Erem stroked him again, his hand slid up and down without any friction, though Barach felt his touch as if there was nothing between them. 

It definitely felt good. 

“Okay. Now the hard part.” Erem chuckled nervously, then straddled Barach’s hips. He made a face as he reached around to his backside, prodding at the hole where he hoped to take Barach into his body. 

Seeing Erem’s taut body stretched and twisted like that as he fingered himself made Barach even harder. He wanted to grab Erem’s hips and bury himself deep within his boyfriend, but that was a bad idea. He had to let Erem be control, and he didn’t want to hurt him like that.

Erem grabbed Barach’s shaft, holding it as he lined up his body. He rubbed it up and down his crack, and every time the tip passed over that puckered opening, Barach’s body pulsed, lust urging the older boy to delve deeper. 

“Don’t tease me,” Barach begged, his fingers digging into his arms behind his head. 

“I’m not. I just… you feel a lot bigger like this, knowing that I have to fit you inside me.” Erem licked his lips. “Try to hold still, okay?”

Barach couldn’t agree to that, but he watched fascinated, as Erem lined him up, and slowly pushed down. 

“Ah!” Erem gasped. He stopped moving, wiggling his hips from side to side. Barach wasn’t in, but he was pressed against Erem’s opening, the tight ring of muscle crowning the tip of his cock. Erem’s legs trembled as he held himself in place, but the weight of sitting was slowly started to bring his body down, opening him up to Barach. 

The slick coating Erem had created around Barach helped. There was no resistance as Erem lowered himself, just the slow stretch of Erem’s body as Barach filled that impossibly tight channel. He felt the head pop in, and Erem gasped, placing his hands on Barach’s chest for more support.

“I-I can’t believe I got it in,” said Erem, his voice strained. He was trembling all over, his wings giving little flutters against his back. Barach had never seen anything more beautiful.

“It’s just the tip,” he replied, his voice low and husky. “You’ve got a lot more to go before I’m in fully.”

“Don’t rush me,” Erem murmured, slowly raising and lowering his hips, trying to adjust to the intrusion. 

Every time he came up, Erem brought his hips back down a little further. Barach could see the gap between their bodies, and he could see how much was waiting to slide into Erem. He didn’t think it was possible. Erem’s body was so tight, but he watched the look of concentration on Erem’s face. Before long, he felt his boyfriend’s butt pressed against his hips. 

Letting his weight settle on his ass, Erem winced as the widest part of Barach stretched him open. “Holy shit, Barach. I can feel every throb of your body inside me. I feel so full. I can’t believe I did it.” 

“You did,” Barach sat up, bending at the waist without moving Erem too much. “I’m so proud of you.” 

Panting through parted lips, Erem looked at him with a dazed expression. “Proud?”

“Of course I am. You’re perfect, Erem. I love you so much.” He placed his hands on Erem’s hips, digging his fingers into his plump butt. Slowly, mindful of any real pain in Erem’s expression, Barach lifted Erem’s body along his shaft, then let the other boy’s own weight push him back down. 

Erem moaned, dropping his head forward against Barach’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around his neck, holding on and allowing Barach to take control now. 

For a while, Barach moved Erem slowly, but the passage relaxed, and he was able to thrust up as Erem slid down, making the other boy gasp and whimper.

“Tell me to stop if I hurt you,” Barach whispered in his ear.

In response, the blue-skinned boy just moaned, “Fuck me.”

The cave was filled with moans and gasps as Barach and Erem joined together, oblivious to everything in the world except each other. Barach held out as long as he could, but when Erem started to stroke himself, the sight was so arousing, he lost control immediately and started to come.

As Barach flooded his insides, Erem continued to bounce up and down, stroking himself with frantic intensity. He cried out as his own pleasure hit, sinking down to be fully impaled on Barach’s throbbing shaft. His body tightened further as he splattered Barach’s belly and chest with semen. 

As they both started to descend from their orgasmic bliss, Barach’s cock twitched within Erem, making the blue-skinned boy wince and laugh. “Ow.”

“I hurt you?”

“No. Sort of. I’m sore, but it’s not hurt.” Stiffly, Erem lifted himself off Barach, letting the shaft fall from him. Wet globs of lubricant and semen trickled from his body. He wrinkled his nose and said, “Ew.”

Barach agreed, considering Erem was letting it drip out over him, splattering his lower belly with the mess. “Get a towel. Use the blanket. Ew, stop.”

“You did this to me, don’t whine.” Erem took half a step away, then wobbled. He started to fall, but Barach was there, catching him immediately. 

“I’m sorry,” said Barach, holding him gently. “I’ve got you. I’ll take care of you. Just relax.”

“Yeah, sure,” Erem muttered, closing his eyes.

Barach laid Erem face down on the blanket, then diligently and carefully cleaned him up. He used his own soft sash, dampened in sea water and warmed with low heat from his hands, to gently washing Erem. 

The trembling in Erem’s body eased, and Barach asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. That feels nice.”

Barach bent down and placed a soft kiss against the small of Erem’s back. “You were amazing.”

“Of course I was,” the boy murmured.

“Do you think you can walk?”

“You’re not going to carry me?”

Barach picked up their clothes, making sure he had everything, then wrapped the blanket around Erem and lifted him. “There.”

Erem squirmed a bit in his arms. “I was kidding! You’re going to break your leg if you try to walk out of here in the dark. Put me down.”

He did, though he remained near Erem’s side in case he lost balance again. They erased the sigil, then left the darkened cave carrying their belongings, Erem leading the way. 

The bonfire was still burning, but it wasn’t the giant conflagration it had been a couple hours ago. The boys decided to go into the ocean and wash some of the residue and scent from their bodies. They returned to the fire to dry off. Barach laid out a blanket and stretched across it. He held out his arm, patting the spot beside him.

Erem glanced at the house. Barach knew what his hesitation was. “It’s cold at night,” Barach said. “We laid down and probably curled up with each other in our sleep, just to stay warm.”

Nodding, Erem lowered himself so he lay on his side beside Barach, the bigger Ahnnak’s body wrapped protectively around him. “This is nice,” he whispered, listening to the snap of firewood.

Barach kissed the back of Erem’s neck. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too.”

They fall asleep under the starlight, the heat of the fire and their embrace keeping them warm throughout the night.


	47. Gabriel: 27th Degree of Harvest, 594 DE

The remainder of the Harvest break passed in a blur of sun, sand, and laughter. The four boys spent their days at the beach, playing and swimming, and their evenings exploring caves, lounging by a bonfire, or talking in the manor. The carefree happiness was over too soon, as the day they had to return to the academy approached.

About six degrees after they arrived, the Isten Harut left, having business with his heir, Erem’s oldest brother Tephriel. There’d been an issue at a lake up north, and Harut took off to see to it personally. 

After he left, Alex relaxed and opened up more, even becoming close friends with Erem’s little sister. The two young children played in the ocean together for hours under Coriel’s watchful eye, giving Gabriel a chance to hang out with his friends without worry. 

Gabriel was relieved to see how close Barach and Erem had become. He was concerned Erem would spend most of the break mad at him for spending so much time with his little brother, but his two friends seemed to be getting along fine without him. Usually, Erem would cling to him and whine whenever he wanted to do something else, but this time, Erem didn’t complain at all on the evenings Gabriel took Alex back to the manor to rest. It was a nice change. Maybe Erem was finally starting to grow up.

The month still passed too quickly. It was the last day, just before sunrise, and Gabriel sat on the beach, watching the waves crash in. He felt the weight of life at the academy starting to return, though he wanted to forget about it, just for another day.

“Morning, Brother,” Alex said, sitting down beside him and handing him a jelly-filled, honey-glazed fried dough. “You like these?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Gabriel took it from him. There was a small bite taken out of it. “You don’t?”

“Lady Coriel insisted I take it. I don’t like it.” 

Gabriel took a bite of the sweet dough, the soft filling still warm. It was delicious. “It’s good, are you sure?”

“It’s all yours, Brother.” Alex pulled his knees up to his chest, his wings shaking out a moment before settling against his back. He stared out to the ocean, where huge waves rolled in, breaking against the shore. “The waves are big today.”

“It’s not a good morning for swimming, even though you’ve gotten better,” said Gabriel. He pointed toward a floating dot out further. “There’s Erem.”

Alex lifted his chin, searching the ocean until he found the boy, barely visible on the surface of the water. He was laying on a long board, watching the waves, and waiting. “What’s he doing out there?”

“Surfing. He does this every morning the waves are big enough. Just watch.”

They sat in the dim glow of light, watching Erem and the waves. The edge of the sun crested the horizon, the glint of light scattering over the ocean. Erem seemed to notice something. He started paddling toward a swell of water, the wave growing bigger he neared. He pushed himself up to his feet on the board, gliding over the wave as it rose up around him. 

Erem sped along the surface of the water as the waved crashed down behind him. Alex gasped, his wings going tense, as it looked like any second the wave could engulf Erem, battering him under the crush of water. Erem rode the swell all the way to the shore. He hopped off and picking up his board, running toward them while grinning.

“Did you see that? That wave was perfect!” he exclaimed, flipping his wet, sand colored hair back from his face. Gabriel held out the other half of the sweetened dough to him, and Erem happily took it and ate a few big bites.

“That looked terrifying,” said Alex, staring up at him. “I thought you were going to crash.”

“It’s not scary. I could show you how,” said Erem. 

“Not this time,” said Gabriel. The water was too rough, and though Alex had turned out to be a pretty good swimmer, Gabriel didn’t think he was ready to see him on a board, riding a wave nearly the size of the southern cliffs.

Erem handed the last part of the fried dough back to Gabriel. “I’m going back out,” he said, grinning happily. He ran back out to the ocean, quickly paddling out on the long board to wait for another wave. 

Ocean salt from Erem’s skin clung to the rest of the dough, but the sweet and salty flavor wasn’t terrible. Gabriel ate the last couple bites and sat there beside Alex companionably as they watched Erem surf a few more waves. The sun rose higher, and a couple little crabs scuttled across the ground, coming closer to the black-haired boy. He picked them up, letting them crawl over his hands, before he stood and carried them to the edge of the grass. 

“The sun will get too hot for you today, go hide in the shade,” he told them, and they scuttled off as if they actually understood him. Maybe they did. At least they were small beasts, nothing Gabriel had to worry about hurting the young boy.

Barach came down about the time the waves started to fade. He ruffled Alex’s black hair, and the little boy barely seemed to mind the touch. “Morning, guys. You’re all up early.”

“Morning, Barachiel.” Alex smoothed his hair back down. He’d grown comfortable with both Barach and Erem over the past few weeks, enough that he didn’t cringe anymore when they touched him. 

Both of Gabriel’s friends had taken the time to hang out with the younger boy, especially when they could tell Gabriel was getting worn out. Erem had even shown Alex some tricks for swimming in the ocean, which the boy really took to heart. Between Erem and Ar’s enthusiasm, Alex was swimming in the ocean as if he’d been around the water his whole life. 

Gabriel still worried about him though. The currents could be strong and unpredictable.

Erem swam in as the last of the waves died down. He ran up, holding his board under his arm. “Good morning, Bar,” he said, tossing his long board down and hopping on Barach’s back. 

“You’re all wet,” Barach complained, though he opened his wings enough so Erem could wrap his legs around his waist and ride on his back. 

“Waves were good this morning,” said Erem, looking comfortable as Barach reached back to support some of his weight. “What do you guys want to do now?”

“We’re supposed to head back to the manor for lunch,” said Barach. “That’s what your mother told me before I came down.”

Erem nodded. “Then after?” Barach shrugged, bouncing Erem on his back.

Gabriel said, “It’s our last day. I wouldn’t mind just hanging out here. Maybe we can make another bonfire tonight.”

Barach smiled. “Sounds good to me.” 

They spent the rest of the morning on the beach, until the sun grew too hot overhead. Coriel shouted down for lunch, and they returned to the manor, where they lounged about inside for the hottest part of the day, just hanging out and talking. 

Alex and Ar played together around the edges of the pit until Erem impatiently decided it was cool enough to go back out. Coriel and Ar came down with them, and Alex stayed with them while Gabriel swam out further with his friends. 

They played hard, splashing and wrestling in the waves, as if even a moment wasted on their last day was an opportunity lost. By the time Coriel took Ar back to the manor and Gabriel struggled back to shore, he was tired. Happy, but tired. He had Alex help him gather enough wood to make another bonfire, and by the time the sunset, he was ready to light it. 

“Alright, stand back, Alex.” 

The little boy ran into the water, which was probably further than necessary, but he was kind of nervous around ignition. Gabriel held his hand up to the wood, relaxing his guard enough to let the power spill out of him. The bonfire erupted with a snap, too hot, but he drew some of the heat back out, calming it to a warm blaze.

Erem ran up, shaking himself dry before the fire. “Fiends, Gabe, you trying to burn it all at once?” 

“I calmed it, don’t worry,” he replied, shielding his face from the spray of water off his friend. Though he wasn’t actually allowed to conjure the power of any element outside certain classes at the academy, around there, no one would report him. If the Isten had been there, he probably wouldn’t have done it, but it felt good to release a bit of that energy every once in a while.

Barach walked up, his hand on Alex’s back, guiding the boy back out of the water and closer to the flames. They got close enough to feel the heat, then stopped. Barach held his hands out to the fire, drying himself. “Good fire, Gabe.” 

“It could be bigger,” said Erem. “More wood. Let it burn longer.”

“It’s big enough,” muttered Alex, not looking at the blaze. 

“It’s just fire, Alex,” said Barach.

The little boy looked tired, and he always got a little grumpy when he was tired. His black eyes caught the light of the fire and swirled in shifting patterns. Gabriel lay a blanket out on the sand and sat, patting beside him. “Come here, Alex.”

The boy walked over to him and sat. Gabriel wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close so he lay with his head rested against his thigh. Alex was tense at first, but he gradually relaxed, closing his eyes. 

The four of them remained on the beach as the stars came out. Gabriel enjoyed the peace and companionship of his friends and brother, as if those were the last moments of happiness he might know ever again.

The following morning, they flew back to Archridge Academy.

  



	48. Remiel: 29th Degree of Harvest, 594 DE

The month with Sophie and her family had been wonderful. Her father was a terrifying hulk of a man, and had taken the longest to warm up to Remiel, but once he did, he’d become jovial and loud, a lot like Uzzi. Remiel liked the family immensely, and was sad when they had to leave, but Sophie’s parents promised he was welcome back anytime.

On their flight back, Sophie smiled and said, “I’ve never seen Dad smile so much with any of the other boys I brought home.”

“You bring a lot of boys home then?” he asked lightheartedly, smiling at her.

“None as pretty as you,” she said. “Smarter maybe, but maybe that’s why Dad liked you. You didn’t try to make him feel dumb.”

“I doubt that’s it. I just talked to him.” 

“You are the only person I know who can talk so much without ever saying anything.”

“Hey, my stories have good morals. They’re interesting.”

“You babble when you’re nervous.”

“I do not,” Remiel protested.

Uzzi shot by on an updraft, shouting, “You babble,” as he flew past.

He felt a lot of affection for the fiery-haired Terran family. They were what he always dreamed having a family would be. Maybe one day, as long as Sophie would have him, they could be his family.

Even though he enjoyed his extended stay with them, it was nice to return to the routine of the academy. Alex arrived the day after him, late at night, carried into the room by Gabriel, who looked just as tired as the boy he deposited in bed. 

“Long flight?” asked Remiel.

Gabriel grunted and grumbled something, then left the room, stumbling out of the hall. Remiel hoped he made it back to his room and didn’t just pass out in a corridor somewhere.

Remiel removed Alex’s shoes and covered him up, though the boy didn’t do more than twitch a wing. He was filthy and didn’t look like his hair had been combed in days, but there was a sun warmed flush across his cheeks, and he looked content as he slept.

Classes would resume the day after tomorrow, but Remiel imagined it would take the whole day in between to get Alex cleaned up and adjusted to being back. Remiel was glad his young charge had gotten the change to enjoy a vacation with his brother. He seemed to have grown a lot over the month, though maybe that was because Remiel still remembered him as that tiny, frail child he’d first found hiding beneath his bed just over a year ago. 

He dimmed the phosphor light and returned to his room, knowing he would need rest before tomorrow. He found he was really looking forward to all the stories the young boy would have to tell him about his holiday at the beach.


	49. Gabriel: 2nd Degree of Justice, 594 DE

Classes resumed, and Gabriel dove back into his studies with renewed energy. He set up a time with the Homm instructor to retake the math test, and though he wasn’t happy about needing to do it at all, he thanked the man for giving him the opportunity. He sat in the library with his math book open, going over the same problems again, but determined not to miss anything this time.

“We studied that last month,” said Ori, sitting beside him. “Er, I mean, the month before break. Did you not understand something?”

“I have to retake my test,” he said, then explained what had happened, though with the girls listening he refrained from swearing as he had when with his friends. 

After he was done, Po said, “That’s not fair. That guy is such a jerk. I had him last year, and he was so stuck up.”

“I heard he does something like this every year. He never passes anyone with a perfect score,” said Lavela.

“I’m good at math, I can help you study more if you want,” said Ori. “Plus we’re in the same class, so if you miss anything, you can look over my notes.” 

“I think I got this, but thank you,” he said, smiling at her. She smiled back, the dimples in her cheeks appearing. 

Sera arrived, late as usual, but she was grinning. “What did I miss?” she asked, placing her books on the table and sitting in a swirl of light fabric. She grabbed a pastry from the platter in the center of the table and started eating it quickly.

“Besides dinner?” Joniel asked, raising her eyebrows in shock at the ravenous way Sera ate. 

“I got distracted,” said Sera. She devoured the last bite and sucked her thumb clean. “So what? Hand me another.”

“You’re with him all the time,” Bets scoffed. “Aren’t you afraid of getting pregnant?”

“That’s not really an issue for me,” said Sera. “But we use protection anyway. Lorcas has been warded. It was required by his patron when he joined the Hunt.”

“Really?” asked Tambri. “Why would they require that?”

Ilac smirked, leaning back with a knowledgeable glint in her eye. The lean girl had a lot of experience with boys, and she wasn’t afraid of sharing her exploits. “Because, if they didn’t, you know how many girls would get pregnant trying to snag all the prestige of a big, strong Huntsman as husband?” 

“But it’s a baby,” said Tambri, “Who would do that to a baby?” The girl was distraught at the idea.

“That’s how my mom and dad got together,” said Lavela. “My grandma told my mom she needed to get pregnant by a Terran boy, or she’d never be able to leave the farm.”

“That’s terrible!” said Po.

“I always forget you’re half Homm,” mentioned Ilac. 

“I was lucky to get my dad’s wings,” Lavela said. “My three brothers are Homm through and through. But my mom swore she would never make me endure what she did, and that’s why I study so hard. So I can get a job and not have to rely on some dumb boy.”

“I think it’s stupid for anyone to get pregnant this young. A baby is just a burden,” said Ilac. “That’s why I like playing with the Hunt. I know they’re fixed, and some of those second string boys-” She brought her hand to her heart. “Oh! Those boys have something to prove.” She gazed up, a look of bliss on her face.

“Girls, stop it,” said Sera. “We’re supposed to be studying.”

“Maybe if you showed up on time and didn’t stop for a quick fling with your boyfriend every evening, we wouldn’t end up talking like this,” retorted Ilac.

“That’s doubtful,” said Juniel. “We talk like this even when Sera isn’t around.” Her twin nodded in agreement.

“It has nothing to do with me, and you all should at least mind your tongues with Gabriel here,” said Sera.

“What? He doesn’t care,” said Bets. “He’s practically one of the girls.”

“Gabe is not a girl,” declared Ori, her cheeks turning pink. “And he’s trying to focus on preparing for this math test, so would you all mind being quiet?”

It wasn’t necessary for Ori to defend him. He was able to block out most of what the girls talked about when it wasn’t pertaining to classes. He kept his face lowered toward his book, though, because the casual way they discussed sex still made him blush sometimes. Not as often as it used to, but still with considerable frequency. 

Sera finished a second pastry, then sucked her fingers clean and dried them on her skirt. She tossed her lavender-tipped hair back from face. “So why are you studying math so hard? Testing isn’t until next week.”

Ori spoke up, explaining the whole situation with the Homm to her, adding a few embellishments in Gabriel’s favor. When she was done, Sera said, “That’s rough, Gabriel. Lorcas is having trouble with Tassin, too.”

“He is?”

Sera nodded. “Maybe you and Lorcas could go talk to the Headmaster together.”

“I’d rather not,” said Gabriel. 

Concerned, Sera said, “He’s not still picking on you, is he?”

Since the incident in Sun and Moon, Lorcas hadn’t confronted Gabriel again. There had been a few tense moments when they passed one another in the hall, but they hadn’t gotten into any more fights. He knew it was because of Sera, and her insistence that Lorcas not fight with Gabriel, but he also knew that there would come a time when the couple would get into another argument. Lorcas was likely to come looking for Gabriel again if that happened, so it was in his best interest to encourage the couple to stay together.

“I haven’t had any trouble with him,” said Gabriel. “I just don’t think talking with the Headmaster again will help. I’m just going to study, so I do so well on this test, Tassin won’t have any excuse to mark me down.”

Sera smiled at him. “You’re so hardworking, Gabriel. I wish I could be that determined.” She picked up another pastry. “Well, if you change your mind about going to the Headmaster with Lorcas, let me know, and I’ll run the idea by him. I’m sure he’d be happy for the chance to help you.”

Gabriel doubted that, but he just smiled at her and said, “Thank you,” then got back to studying for the test.

***

When the study group disbanded for the night, Ori remained by his side. “Gabe?” she asked, walking beside him.

“Yes, Ori?” He just wanted to go back to his room and sleep.

“If you wouldn’t mind, tomorrow, at lunch, maybe we could eat together?” She looked very nervous asking him. He felt bad about saying no.

“I’m going to study during lunch,” he said.

“I don’t mind. I could even help you! I’m really very good at math, Gabe. I can quiz you so you’re ready.”

She had scored higher than him, missing only one answer where she’d placed the decimal in the wrong spot. She was probably right, studying would be easier if he had her help. “Okay. Can we meet on the cliffs, though?” He didn’t want to eat in the dining hall, because he knew Sera and Lorcas would be there, and Sera would insist they sit with them. 

“Why the cliffs?” she asked.

“It’s… It’s quieter. Then we can be alone.” He smiled up at her. She was a couple years older and just a little taller than him, but not much. He watched her cheeks turn pinker, and he heard the increased patter of her heart. Her wings fluttered against her back before going completely still. It was a weird reaction to eating lunch and studying outside. 

In a shaky voice, she said, “A-Alone? I guess that will be okay. I’ll meet you tomorrow on the cliffs, then. Don’t forget, Gabe.” 

“I won’t.” He smiled at her and waved as she ran off. When she was out of sight, he turned, walking the rest of the way to his room, letting the forced smile drop from his face. His cheeks hurt from maintaining that stupid, vapid grin the whole night, plastering it on every time one of the girls interrupted his studies to talk with him. 

He didn’t mind Sera, because she was a direct link to keeping Lorcas off his back, but when the other girls continuously talked to him, even when he was clearly reading, he found himself growing more and more annoyed. If it had been Erem or Barach, he would have told them off and been done with it, but the girls saw him as smart, innocent, and sweet. He repressed his natural urges and reactions in order to maintain their careful perception of him.

He got back to his dorm and kicked the door shut behind him. Neither Barach or Erem were in the room, though it was nearly curfew. It had been a while since Gabriel had the room to himself, and he was thankful for a moment of calm, especially after that study session.

After dropping his books off on his desk, Gabriel pulled off his clothes and tossed them into the laundry pile. He grabbed a loose shift to tie about his waist, but as he withdrew the thin fabric from his closet, he saw the glint of the gemstone hidden in the back. He wrapped the fabric about his hips, but couldn’t tear his eyes away from the hiding spot in the closet. He knew he should just go to bed, but he found himself reaching in, digging through the folded clothes to touch the stone and the cut bundle of ribbon. 

Gabriel pulled one of the strips of ribbon out of the bundle, working it free of the pile without undoing all the string he had wrapped around it. He didn’t know why he kept it. He should have burned it the first chance he got. He could burn it now. It could be a pile of smoldering ash before Barach and Erem ever got back.

Instead, he carried the piece of ribbon with him as he jumped into bed. Laying on his stomach, he examined the ribbon under the light glowing on the wall over his pillow. He increased the brightness of the phosphor slightly, until he was able to clearly see the intricate woven details in the fabric.

It was Alex’s ribbon, the one Gabriel had found tied between his thighs, digging into the boy’s pale skin. It was the thing his father forced Alex to wear, preventing him from ever being able to run away. Gabriel didn’t know how long Alex had been forced to wear it, but he knew it was a horrible thing. He also knew it was unlike anything he had seen before. 

The ribbon was a blue that matched Gabriel’s eyes. Rather, it matched Jequn’s eyes, but he shared his father’s coloration almost completely. Raised symbols patterned the fabric, though they were unfamiliar, maybe writing from the ancient days of Ahn. Part of Gabriel wished he could read them, though he didn’t think he would like what they said. 

The delicate threads of the ribbon felt like spiderwebs on the frayed ends Gabriel had roughly cut with a knife. He’d done it to free Alex from the binding, but he kept cutting because he was angry, until none of the lengths of ribbon were longer than his splayed fingers. 

He was tempted to lay it all out, see if he could match the ends back together, just to see if he could recognize a pattern in any of the symbols. If he could, maybe he could find a translation in the library somewhere. To take the time to match it, he would need the whole room to himself, or have to explain what he was doing to his friends. That was something Gabriel didn’t want to have to do.

The handle to the room jiggled. Gabriel swiped off his light and shoved the cut ribbon under his pillow as Erem pushed open the door and walked in. “You asleep, Gabe?”

“Not yet.” He rested his chin on his arms, looking over at his friend. Erem’s hair was wet. He must have just come from the baths. “Barach with you?”

“He said he needed something to eat, and went down to the dining hall.” Erem flopped down on his bed with a grunt. He adjusted a few times before he finally got comfortable. 

“You let him eat half your food at dinner, but he’s still hungry?” Gabriel scoffed. Barach was probably going through another growth spurt. Great. Just what Barach needed, to get taller.

Erem yawned, stretching his mouth wide. “He said he worked up an appetite tonight.”

“Did he go to the stables?” asked Gabriel.

Erem blinked a couple times, looking over at him. “He… yes. Visited the stables.” The words sounded wrong somehow, like they weren’t vibrating on the right wavelength in the air. It was strange. Gabriel shrugged it off. He was probably just tired.

Barach entered, half a loaf of bread in his mouth. He kicked off his shoes and jumped into his bed, even though that meant he would probably be sleeping in crumbs. 

“Night,” Barach mumbled through the loaf, flipping off his light.

“Goodnight, Barach.” Erem flipped off his light. The room went dark. “Goodnight, Gabe.”

“Goodnight,” he replied. It was too late to get out of bed and put the piece of Alex’s ribbon back without drawing suspicion, so he lay in bed, touching the delicate fabric, until he was able to fall asleep.


	50. Alex: 13th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

Fuztethiel cleared his throat. “Alright class, today we are starting the study of the War with the Jinn. What do you know already?” Everyone was alert, eyes focused on the teacher, even Uzzi. Alex watched him from the corner of his eye, but he tried to pay attention to the Terran teacher as well.

A boy across the room raised his hand. “My great-grandpa died in the war. Grandma said he got killed by fiends.”

A few more hands shot up. “My uncle said the Jinn wanted to destroy E’din so they could eat all the Terran babies.”

“My dad was born just after the war. He’s named after the commander who killed the rebel traitor. He’s strong like him, too.”

“I heard the leader of the Jinn was an Isten.”

The class fell silent at that. Fuztethiel looked around at all the small faces peering up at him. Somberly, he said, “It’s true. The War with the Jinn began because one of the Isten lost sight of the true purpose of E’din. In the four-hundred-twenty-seventh year of the Dominion of E’din, one-hundred-sixty-seven years ago, the Isten Chaitaan abandonded his duties to Ahn. His corruption spread to his offspring, especially his heir, whose crimes made him the first Ahnnak to be banished from E’din into the untamed wilds. The fourteen year war ended with the defeat of the Isten and his nameless daughter, but his heir still rules the Jinn today.”

“So they could come back?” a girl asked fearfully. 

“No,” Fuztethiel said resolutely. “The heir of the traitor is in exile. E’din is surrounded by barriers that will not allow him to cross. The fiends of the Jinn are barely more than mindless beasts without him, and the great army of E’din always stands guard at the borders. The Jinn will never be able to attack us again. The righteous Isten will keep us safe forever.”

Something about Fuztethiel’s words felt wrong, but Alex couldn’t tell what. An uneasy feeling filled him, even as he tried to block out the grating thoughts that chipped away the barriers in his mind. Suddenly, a memory surfaced, overwhelming Alex. It took hold of him and dragged him down into the blackness within him.

Jequn sat on the edge of his bed reading a tablet. An irritated frown creased his face as his eyes followed along with the scrolling text. “They are making a mistake,” he grumbled, the words like a growl that vibrated through his chest. 

Alex opened his black eyes. He lay curled against the Isten’s bare back, stretched from hip to hip, completely naked except for the blue ribbon tied between his thighs. Sticky dampness seeped from between his legs, but he was too exhausted and cold to move from beneath the warm shelter his father’s six wings provided. 

The Isten spoke, though he wasn’t really talking to Alex. He knew he was awake, and he knew he would listen, but he didn’t care if he understood. “Tennin is a damned fool to withdraw the troops from the northeastern border just because the ridge hasn’t been breached in a hundred years.” He sat the tablet aside and clicked his tongue with disapproval. 

Alex flinched at the sound. He peered up through the Isten’s feathers to see his face, to make sure the disapproval hadn’t been directed at him. He had been good tonight. He hadn’t even cried much.

Cold blue eyes turned toward him. “Reliance on the barriers is not enough,” Jequn said. He raised his wings and reached back, grabbing Alex’s arm. He hauled the small boy around, bringing him up onto his lap. Big arms wrapped around Alex’s tiny waist, holding him upright. His father leaned in, placing a light kiss against his small, bruised mouth. He whispered, “Barriers always break, don’t they, little one?”

Reality snapped back on Alex, leaving him panting in that stone classroom, cold sweat beaded across his forehead. He looked up, his black eyes swirling, while his heartbeat thundered in his chest, threatening to tear itself apart on the jagged shards within him. 

“It’s lies,” he said.

Fuztethiel stopped speaking. He blinked a couple times, looking at Alex. “Did you say something, Alexiel?” 

“You’re lying.”

“Excuse me? I do not lie, young Ahnnak. If you wish, you can verify it for yourself. It’s in all the books, and-”

“The border is unguarded,” Alex stated, the strength of his voice rising. “Barriers always break. The Jinn will return and destroy you all.” 

The entire class was staring at him. He realized he was standing. When had that happened? Even Uzzi looked up at him with wide eyes. Fuztethiel swallowed a couple times, then said, “I think you should wait in the hall for your tutor, Alexiel.” 

Without another word, Alex lowered his gaze and walked to the hall, sitting just outside the classroom door. He folded his knees up to his chest, pressed his face against his legs, and covered his head with his arms. His whole body hurt, like he was being ripped apart from within. 

Alex wanted to see his brother. 

He knew he’d been told to wait, but he didn’t want to listen anymore. He didn’t want to stay there anymore, not in the class or the academy. He wanted his brother. He wanted someone who could help him hold himself together while everything within him threatened to destroy him.

The decision came on its own, unbidden, rising from the dark thoughts in his head. Alex got up and started walking. He didn’t know where he was going to go, but he knew he wasn’t going to stay there.


	51. Remiel: 13th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

Remiel shot down the empty halls, barely touching the ground. He veered around a corner, pushing off the far wall, and flew forward, white wings snapping out wide. 

_This was bad. Very, very bad._

The classroom door was closed. He landed before it, barely able to skid to a halt. He took a second to push his thick brown hair back, and then he opened the door.

“Excuse me, Instructor, I need to see Gabriel.” Remiel bowed deeply, more because he was afraid he couldn’t keep the look of panic out of his eyes than respect for the Homm instructor.

“We are in the middle of a test,” the man snapped. “How dare you barge into my classroom. Get out.”

“It’s important,” Remiel insisted. He raised his head a bit, finding Gabriel sitting on the far side of the room. Everyone in the class was staring at Remiel, but Gabriel was the only one who did it with such utter contempt. Remiel looked right into his cold blue eyes as he said, “Your brother is missing.”

Gabriel stood up, wings snapping out. The bench scraped loudly across the floor.

“Sit back down,” the instructor commanded. 

“I’m sorry, sir, I have to go,” said Gabriel. He came around the side of the desk, walking briskly toward the door. Remiel straighted and backed out, knowing this wasn’t going to be pleasant, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“Ahnnak Gabriel, you leave this classroom now, and you will fail this test and receive a zero for the month,” the instructor boomed. “I will not give you another chance.”

For a moment, Gabriel hesitated. His wings were rigid behind him. Without glancing back, he clenched his fists, set his jaw, and continued walking the rest of the way out of the room. 

The door closed heavily behind him, and Remiel was about to start explaining, when Gabriel grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. Remiel winced, feeling like his ribs were going to be crushed. The silver-haired boy glared up at him, eyes viciously locked on his face, and demanded, “What happened?”

“It was in class,” Remiel said. “He got upset about something, and the teacher had him step into the hall to calm down. He must have walked off.”

“They left him alone?! Have you looked for him?”

“Of course I looked for him. The teachers are looking for him too. But they didn’t realize he was missing for almost an hour. They only got me after that. He could be anywhere, Gabriel. I had to come get you. Alex’s level is on lockdown while they search the rooms, but if they don’t find him there, it’s going to spread to the whole school.”

Gabriel’s lip curled back in a sneer. Remiel could tell he wanted to hit him, but they were wasting time, and they both knew it. 

An alarm went off, three long, loud tones followed by a deep, resounding chime. It reverberated through the halls. A door to a classroom further down the hall opened and an instructor peered out. 

She shouted toward them, “Boys! Come here! You need to be in a classroom. I’m sure it’s just a drill, but the whole Academy has entered lockdown. We’ll get you returned to your classes when it’s over.”

“We’ve got to go,” said Gabriel quietly, releasing Remiel’s shirt. He started down the hall away from the instructor.

Remiel called back, “Sorry, Instructor, official business,” then followed Gabriel quickly down the hall. They could hear her calling after them to stop, but they increased their pace until they turned the corner, then they ran.

They reached the fissure without anyone else trying to stop them. Gabriel leaned over the edge, looking down into the gap. “What are they doing?”

Remiel peered over the edge to see what Gabriel was pointing at. “Oh. They’re guarding the waterfall, so no one can enter the pool during lockdown.”

“You don’t think-”

“No. Alexiel knows he’s not supposed to go near the water.” It had been the first place Remiel looked, nervously scanning the surface for any sign of the little boy.

“He’s knows he’s not supposed to run away and hide, too,” replied Gabriel irritably. His sharp eyes scanned the grounds and the arches, alert for any sign of movement that could give away the little boy’s presence. “Where have you looked so far?”

“His room. My room. The fields above. The dining hall. I’ve checked everywhere he goes to hide when he’s upset, but he wasn’t in any of them. There wasn’t even any sign he’d been there. No one has seen him.”

“Did you check the stables?”

“He wouldn’t leave the academy.”

“He might, if he’s upset. Damn it! Let’s go, Remi.” Gabriel jumped into the air, quickly flying from the academy down toward the valley. “We have to find him before something bad happens.”

Leaping after him, Remiel followed, falling in line at his right. He hoped it wasn’t already too late. 


	52. Alex: 13th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

The forest was dark and tall, the trees much less merged with the undergrowth than the jungle Alex had grown up in, but the wooded surroundings still felt familiar. There was a tranquility in the air, as if all his problems were very far away, and he could just walk forever where no one would find him. 

It was difficult to determine the time. The dense canopy allowed very little sunlight to filter between the leaves. He knew he’d been walking for a while. He knew he’d flown for a long time before that. 

His stomach grumbled, the ache in his empty belly making him pause. He had eaten lunch, but that seemed very long ago. Maybe there were fruit or berries in the forest to eat. It hadn’t been a good idea to leave the academy without food.

Then again, it hadn’t been a good idea to leave the academy at all.

Alex knew he hadn’t been thinking clearly. He’d been upset, unable to calm himself. He had briefly tried to find his brother, but the halls were confusing and twisted deeper into the rock. He didn’t even know what level to start searching on. He needed someone or something to help him control his emotions, but he didn’t know where to go. 

At home, he would have gone to Hadasha. He could have curled up at her side and slept in her fur until he felt better. Thinking of her, Alex had decided he would visit the next best thing, Barach’s auroch in the stables. Cloudkicker would definitely let him sit with her until he felt better. 

He had flown out of the academy alone, too upset to listen to the voice in his head warning him about getting in trouble. He flew toward the stables at first, but his eyes had been drawn to the horizon, to the distant growth of thick trees in the far distance. He barely thought about it, just altered his course, soaring toward the expansive forest and the the lure of quiet seclusion among the trees.

When he arrived at the forest, he dropped to the ground and walked into the shadows, crunching across dry sticks and twigs. Birds chirped through the branches, and bushes rustled as small beasts scurried around him. It was different than the jungle, but just as good. 

Alex had walked until he felt the piercing ache in his chest begin to abate. He focused on the way the breeze moves the high branches of the trees around him. Bird song floated through the air, and gradually, Alex felt the broken pieces within him fall still. It was about then that the first pang of hunger hit. It was shortly after that that he realized he was completely lost. 

The canopy was too thick to fly out of, and even if he made it up, he didn’t have the strength to fly back to the academy. He was too tired and hungry, having used all his energy to fly there then walk for hours. 

It was getting darker. Alex heard snuffling on the other side of a ridge. He climbed up, peering down into a gully to see a large boar with seven spotted piglets. She was huge, much bigger than he was, with great curved tusks jutting from her mouth. He wondered if she would let him stay with her for the night. Maybe she could show him where to find food.

He was about to climb over the ridge to approach the mother and babies, when a hand slipped over his mouth, and he was jerked back against a solid body. 

Alex would have screamed, but fear paralyzed him. His captor dragged him from the ridge until he was far enough from the boar that he couldn’t hear her snorting and grunts. The hand fell from his mouth, and he was turned around to face the unfamiliar grey eyes of a winged boy.

The boy was nearly fully grown, as big as Barach, but practically a man. He crouched before Alex, placing his hands heavily on the young boy’s shoulders. “Sorry about that,” he said, his voice quiet and reassuring. “That beast is dangerous. You should never approach a mother with her babies. They’re very protective.” 

“Please let me go,” Alex whispered, trembling.

The boy smiled. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You’re lost, aren’t you?”

Alex nodded, feeling tears in his eyes. “Yes.”

“I’ll help you get home. My name is Lorcasiel.”

“I’m Alex,” he said, looking up as the older boy stood. Lorcasiel looked strong and fast. The firm hand on his shoulder made Alex aware he wouldn’t be given a chance to escape. 

“I know who you are,” said Lorcasiel. “You disappeared from the academy. Everyone has been looking for you.”

“They have?” He felt his stomach knot. He was in so much trouble. His wings squeezed in tight against his back.

“Did you run away?”

Alex felt his bottom lip quiver. He nodded guiltily. 

Lorcasiel smiled at him. “You must be hungry.” Alex’s stomach grumbled again, answering for him. The older boy took a stick of dried fruit from the satchel around his waist and handed it to Alex. “Go ahead and eat.”

“Thank you,” he said, taking the dried fruit and eating it. When he finished the first, Lorcasiel handed him another, and Alex started to feel the ache in his belly recede. 

Lorcasiel kept an eye on him, but every once in a while he would scan the distance, like he was looking for danger. “Why did you come here, Alex?” he asked.

“It’s quiet.”

“Quiet?” Lorcasiel snorted. “There are beasts in this forest that would eat you up.” 

“It reminds me of home,” he said. 

Lorcasiel tilted his head, examining Alex curiously. “You miss your home?”

“I miss the jungle. I miss Hadasha.”

“Who is Hadasha?”

“She’s my friend. She would sit with me in the jungle when I was sad.” A heavy sigh escaped Alex.

For a little while, Lorcasiel just started at him. Then he took Alex’s hand and pulled him over to a fallen tree. He lifted Alex onto the top of the mossy wood, then hopped up and sat beside him.

“If you’re sad, I’ll sit with you,” he said.

Alex blinked up at him, his black eyes wide. He didn’t like being touched so much, but there was nothing threatening about this boy. He appeared to be kind, though Alex knew better that to trust appearances. Still…

“It’s okay to sit here?”

“For a little while. Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you? About why you ran away?”

“No.” Alex looked down, squeezing his fingers together. 

“I used to run away, too,” said Lorcasiel. He looked out toward the trees. 

Alex glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “You did?”

“All the time. I ran away from the orphanage, and I ran away from the foster families, and I ran away from Archridge. I always came to the forest, too, because it was quiet. But really, I was just sad, you know?”

“Why were you sad?” Alex asked softly.

“My parents died when I was a baby and I didn’t have any other family. I felt like everyone had forgotten me. It wasn’t until I was older, and had found my place with the Hunt, that I ever felt like I belonged anywhere. Before that, I think I was a lot like you.” Lorcasiel fell silent. He touched Alex’s arm, and pointed into the distance. He made the sign for _quiet_ with his hand, then touched his lips with a finger, urging Alex to remain still.

The large boar walked by in the distance, her babies trotting alongside her. She swung her head around, sniffing the air, staring right at them. They didn’t move. After a few tense minutes, unable to sense any danger from their direction, she continued on. They remained silent until she was out of sight. 

Lorcasiel patted Alex’s head. “Good boy. That beast is ferocious, but I would hate to have to kill her while she has a litter.”

“K-Kill her?”

“If she decided to attack, she wouldn’t stop until we were dead.” Lorcasiel leaned back on the log, stretching his wings out behind him. “We better go. We need to get you back to the academy before dark.”

“I don’t want to go back,” Alex whispered.

“Why?”

“They’re going to be angry. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“You’re already in trouble, Alex. There’s no point making it worse. The sooner you get back, the sooner it’ll be over with.”

Alex pouted, but when Lorcasiel slid off the log, he let the older boy lift him down, too. They walked side by side out of the dense forest. The light that was coming through was brighter, and Alex realized it wasn’t nearly as close to sunset as he thought. They reached the edge of the trees, and Alex squinted into the light, looking back at the distant cliffs of Archridge. The academy looked tiny so far away. 

“Do you think we could walk?” asked Alex, hopeful to delay his return a while longer.

“Walk? To the academy? Not a chance, kid. You’ve got wings, use them.” He nudged his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go.” 

With a sighed, Alex spread his wings and prepared to follow Lorcasiel into the air. 

That’s when Gabriel arrived.


	53. Gabriel: 13th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

The stables had been a dead end. Ku-Iannan hadn’t seen Alex at all, not since the last time Barach and Gabriel brought him down. They searched every stall and corral anyway, but the boy still wasn’t found among the beasts. A student grooming an ibex mentioned seeing a small shape fly from the academy a while ago, but it had flown west over the valley, not toward the stables. Gabriel ordered Remiel to return to the academy just in case Alex came back, but he was going on ahead to search the valley for any signs of the little boy.

Another couple farmers mentioned they’d seen a shadow across the ground or a small form fly by, and Gabriel continued to follow the direction they pointed. He kept searching the farms below him, hoping to see the little boy on a roof or asleep in a pile of hay, anything. 

When he hovered for a moment to catch his breath, his eyes drifted up, and he saw the forest on the horizon. Instantly, he knew. Even as he tried to deny it, tried to tell himself his little brother wouldn’t be that stupid, he knew. 

Alex was somewhere in the western forest, a forest which stretched further north and west than Gabriel could see without reaching the cold air of the stratosphere. He sped toward the treeline, calling out his brother’s name, but the canopy was so thick, he doubted any sound got through. There was no sign of his brother. He was going to have to go in himself.

He landed along a sparse patch of trees, peering into the shadows. He wouldn’t even know where to begin looking. Alex could be anywhere. He’d been missing for hours now. Gabriel had to find him. 

Gabriel was about to run into the forest when he heard voices. He stopped, listening. There were people to the south. One of them sounded young, like Alex. Filled with hope, Gabriel shot back into the air, flying toward the sound. 

Relief overcame Gabriel as he caught sight of Alex’s long black hair. The little boy walked out of the forest, looking up and talking to…

 _Shit._ What was Lorcas doing here?

Gabriel dropped to the ground, landing before Alex in a swirl of dirt. 

“Gabriel!” The little boy exclaimed, looking startled.

Stalking forward, Gabriel grabbed Alex’s arm and jerked him away from Lorcas. He looked his brother over, checking for any injuries. The boy looked dirty and tired, but he was unharmed. Gabriel exhaled, the fear and tension of the past few hours easing from him, only to be replaced by a surge of anger. He shook Alex by his arm and yelled, “Alex, what were you thinking!?”

The little boy winced, looking up at him with tear filled black eyes. “I’m sorry, Brother.”

“Brother?” repeated Lorcas, looking between them with a furrowed brow.

Gabriel pointed angrily at the Huntsman. “Stay out of this, Lorcasiel. It doesn’t concern you.”

“Relax. The kid has been lost out here for hours. He’s cold and hungry, and I found him mere cubits away from a highland sow with her litter. He could have died.”

Cold blue eyes fell on Alex. The boy looked up, swallowing hard, and whispered, “She would have helped me.”

He had approached the beast on purpose. With that realization, Gabriel felt some something snap in his head. Fury flooded him. He grabbed Alex’s upper arm tight enough to bruise and spun him around. Three sharp smacks to the boy’s backside punctuated Gabriel’s reprimand. “You to stay away from beasts!”

Alex’s black eyes widened. The fast blows had probably been more startling than painful, but the shock of being hit by Gabriel at all made him immediately burst into tears. The boy’s pitiful sobs cut through Gabriel’s rage, like a spear of ice through his heart. He eased his grip on the boy’s arm and pulled him to his chest.

“ _Damn it, Alex_ ,” he hissed, holding his crying brother to him. 

“Ease up, Gabe. You’re being too hard on him,” said Lorcas, crossing his arms. He spread his wings out behind him, the pose meant to make him look bigger and more intimidating.

“Mind your own business,” Gabriel growled back. 

Alex clung to the front of his shirt, little fists balling up the fabric. His tears soaked through to Gabriel’s skin, and his little shoulders shook as he continued to cry. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me,” he whimpered against Gabriel’s belly.

Stroking his long black hair, Gabriel said, “I don’t hate you, Alex. You had me scared to death, running away like that. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you.” He tilted the boy’s tear streaked face up toward him. “Forgive me?”

The boy sniffled, his bottom lip quivering. He nodded, and whispered, “Yes, Brother. I’m so sorry. I’ll never run away again.”

“You better not.” Gabriel hugged him tight. “And you’re still in trouble.”

He pressed his face back against Gabriel’s belly and whispered, “I know.”

Lorcas glanced back into the forest, listening attentively. “We can’t stay here past dark. You two are helpless. We need to get back to the academy.”

Gabriel might have taken offense to that if there wasn’t something ominous about the forest as the shadows grew longer. He didn’t enjoy the thought of being there past dark, or letting Alex remain anywhere near that place. “Can you fly?” Gabriel asked his little brother.

“Yes,” Alex sniffled. He stepped back and rubbed his face on his arm. He wouldn’t look right at Gabriel, but kept his gaze lowered to the ground. 

“Alright, up, both of you,” said Lorcas, pointing toward the distant academy. “I’ll take flank, but I don’t want either of you kids stopping before we’re back in Archridge.”

“I’m not a kid,” Gabriel grumbled at him.

“ _Go_ ,” Lorcas commanded, taking a step forward threateningly.

Not wanting to show fear, but also not wanting Lorcas to get too close to him, Gabriel grabbed Alex’s hand and jumped, pulling the boy up in the air with him. It took a few wingbeats before Alex was able to steady himself, then he flew beside Gabriel without complaint.

Lorcas followed close behind them the whole way back to the academy. His presence made Gabriel nervous, but there was nothing he could do about that now. 

***

They arrived at the academy, heading straight to the administrative level. Remiel met them in the hall, looking like he was going to cry. 

“Alexiel! You’re safe!” he exclaimed, throwing himself around the small boy and hugging him tight. Alex squirmed in his arms, but Remiel said, “I don’t care if you hate it, I was so worried. I’m going to hug you whether you like it or not.” Alex stilled in his arms a bit then, looking miserable and waiting for Remiel to be done.

“I don’t have all night,” Lorcas said brusquely. Remiel released Alex, and the four of them entered the headmaster’s office together. 

It was completely dark outside by the time Headmaster Iscriel finished scolding Alex. Annoyingly, Gabriel ended up getting a lecture as well, due to the fact that he left Archridge boundaries without permission during class hours. Neither of the them received more than a verbal reprimand, but the Terran promised he would be writing a letter to their father to inform him of the incident.

That was the worst punishment Gabriel could think of. He tried to talk Iscriel out of it, but the man could not be swayed.

When the four boys left the office, they all walked out together. Remiel bowed deeply to Lorcas at the end of the hall. “Thank you for finding him,” he said. 

“I’m part of the Hunt. It’s what I do,” said Lorcas casually. He wasn’t leaving. Why wasn’t he leaving? Didn’t he have anywhere else he was supposed to be? He had stayed in the room the entire time the Headmaster scolded Alex and Gabriel, like he enjoyed listening to Gabriel get berated.

Remiel nudged Alex. “Alexiel, you need to thank the nice Huntsman for finding you.”

“He doesn’t,” Gabriel grumbled, mostly to himself. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Alex bowed to Lorcas. “Thank you, Lorcasiel. I’m sorry I caused so much trouble.”

“No trouble, kid. If you ever need someone to sit with again, come find me, though. Don’t just run off.”

Gabriel scowled. “All right, enough of that. Remi, get Alex to bed. _Now_.”

“Yes, Gabriel.” Remiel touched the little boy’s shoulder. “Come on.”

“Goodnight, Brother,” Alex said, as Remiel guided him down the hall and back to his room. 

“Night, Alex,” he replied softly. He really was relieved the boy was back safe. 

With Remiel and Alex out of sight, Gabriel became immediately aware that he was left standing in the hall alone with Lorcas. He turned, not looking at the Huntsman, and started briskly walking away. Unfortunately, Lorcas fell in step beside him. 

“You’re not going to thank me?” the Huntsman asked.

“For what?”

“For finding your brother.”

“You didn’t even know he was my brother.”

“If I had, I still would have looked for him.”

“Yeah, right,” Gabriel scoffed. 

“The kid is already unlucky enough to be stuck with a brother like you. Why should he have to suffer more because of that?” 

Gabriel glared at him. “Why are you such an obnoxious asshole, Lorcas?”

The Huntsman’s eyes narrowed. He grabbed Gabriel’s arm, dragging him into a darkened passage at the edge of the administrative level. There was some clutter against the wall, like they used it for storage. No one else was on the level near them, no one who could hear Gabriel’s surprised yelp as Lorcas shoved him against the wall.

“I expect you to show me a little more gratitude than this, baby. I did you a favor. The least you can do is say my name with respect.”

“Let me go, Lorcas,” Gabriel growled, trying to pry Lorcas’ hand from his shirt. 

Lorcas jerked Gabriel forward, then slammed him back again, bouncing his head off the wall. “Only my friends get to call me that, and you, _Gabe_ , are not my friend.”

Gabriel saw spots. He blinked them away, scowling up at the Huntsman. “Fine. Thank you for saving my brother, Lorcasiel. Now, let me go.”

“That’s not good enough now, baby.” Lorcas placed his hand against the wall by Gabriel’s head, leaning over him. Gabriel didn’t like the look in the Huntsman’s grey eyes. He felt his stomach sink as dread filled him.

“What do you want?” he said, somehow managing to prevent his voice from quivering. 

Lorcas’s hand relaxed on Gabriel’s chest, smoothing the wrinkled fabric down. “Tell me about your boyfriend.”

“Barach? He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Have you had sex with him?”

Cringing, Gabriel exclaimed, “Of course not!”

“You’ve given him head?”

“No!”

“A hand job?”

“Nothing! Fiends, Lorcasiel, he’s just my friend. We’re _just_ friends.”

The Huntsman tilted his head, watching him like one of the great birds of prey. “You’ve kissed him, though.”

“No! I haven’t kissed anyone. Why do you even care?”

There was a flash of surprise, followed by a look of amusement. He drawled, “No one at all?”

Heat rushed to Gabriel’s cheeks. He swallowed hard. “No one,” he admitted, suddenly feeling like a child. 

A grin stretched across Lorcasiel’s face. “Then that is what I want from you.”

“What is?” the silver-haired boy asked nervously. 

“I want your first kiss.” 

Gabriel stared up with ice-blue eyes filled with stunned disbelief. “You can’t be serious. Stop joking around.” He started to move away, to leave the hall and put as much distance between himself and Lorcas as possible, but the Huntsman yanked him back, moving his hand up to his neck this time. 

“I am absolutely serious, baby. This is my payment for saving your brother. For not letting him get gored to death by a wild boar.”

Swallowing hard, Gabriel said, “But you’re dating Sera.”

Lorcas’ mouth twitched and his eyes darkened. “Don’t you dare think for a second you know anything about Sera and me. She’s not your friend. She just pities you.”

“But she’s a girl.”

“So?”

“I’m not.”

Snorting, Lorcas said, “Yeah, obviously.” 

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Gabriel was grasping for anything to buy himself time to think of a way out of that hall. Maybe he would be able to reason with Lorcas and convince him to let him go.

“Why would it bother me?” the Huntsman asked.

“You clearly like girls, and I’m a guy, like you.”

“You mean, why am I not bothered that you have a penis?” 

The words were blunt and brought heat to Gabriel’s cheeks, but he said, “Y-Yeah.”

“You don’t know anything about me.” Lorcas leaned in a little. “You know, Sera has a penis, but that doesn’t stop her from being the most beautiful girl in the academy. You’re nothing compared to her.”

Gabriel blinked. _Oh_. So there would be no reasoning with Lorcas. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered as the Huntsman leaned in closer. 

“It’s just a kiss. I’ve had thousands of kisses before. I doubt I’ll even remember you by morning. But you…” He smirked, his face much too close. “You, baby boy, will remember me forever. I’ll always be your first.”

Strong fingers dug into Gabriel’s jaw as he tried to turn his face away. In an instant, the Huntsman closed the remaining distance. Bristles of a developing beard scratched Gabriel’s smooth skin as he was met with the hot press of a mouth against his for the first time in his life. For a startled second, all he could think was, _His lips are so soft_ , before he realized what was happening. 

Disgusted, he lashed out, shoving Lorcas back. “Get off me!” he snarled. 

The Huntsman released him long enough to catch both his wrists, pressing them against the stone over his head with one big, strong hand. Lorcas forced his knee between Gabriel’s legs and pinned him to the wall with his body. Once he had the smaller boy immobilized, Lorcas grabbed Gabriel’s chin again and tilted his face up. “I’m not done with you,” he growled.

Lorcasiel’s mouth found his again, the kiss falling on him hard and heavy. Teeth grazed his bottom lip. A wet tongue forced its way into his mouth. Lorcas tasted him, exploring and touching his teeth and his tongue. There was nowhere Gabriel could escape him. 

Desperate, Gabriel pushed back with his tongue, trying to force the intrusion from his mouth. For a moment, Lorcas resisted, but then, to Gabriel’s surprise, the older boy withdrew. He retreated into his own mouth while their parted lips remained pressed together. The move was so sudden and unexpected, Gabriel found his tongue plunging in after, brushing against the smooth edge of Lorcas’ teeth. 

The Huntsman’s retreat only lasted a second. His tongue twisted with Gabriel’s, sucking at him and drawing him in deeper. Gabriel struggled against him, but any withdraw was met with the older boy shoving his tongue back in, delving deeper into Gabriel’s mouth like he was trying to consume him. 

It was difficult to breathe. It was difficult to think. All Gabriel could hear was the thundering pulse of his heartbeat, and the wet sounds of Lorcas’ mouth on his. There was an aggressive fight for dominance, a fight which Gabriel ultimately lost, due to his complete inexperience. Lorcas ravaged him, leaving no room for doubt about who was in control. 

When Lorcasiel’s hand released his jaw, it slid down, tightening around Gabriel’s throat with a firm pressure. To his complete embarrassment, Gabriel whimpered. The Huntsman broke the kiss, leaning back to look at him with heat-filled grey eyes. Gabriel’s mouth felt bruised and swollen. The taste of the older boy lingered on his tongue. 

Panting, Gabriel looked up at the Huntsman. “I hate you,” he said, his voice strained, trying to keep the tears from his eyes.

Lorcasiel licked his lips like he was savoring the taste of Gabriel on his skin. His wings were tense, spread wide behind him. “That’s not what you say, baby,” he murmured, saying ‘baby’ with something close to affection. It filled Gabriel with a confusing mix of feelings, though mostly shame and nausea. He preferred the insulting tone Lorcas usually used.

Very lightly, the Huntsman’s fingers traced down Gabriel’s neck, then down and across his chest. Too late, Gabriel realized where the hand was going, as it veered to his side, then left his body to reach into his feathers. He had a moment to gasp, “No, don’t!” before the Huntsman ripped one of his longest feathers from his wing.

Bringing it to his face, Lorcas sniffed the feather as he ran it over his upper lip. His grey eyes remained locked on Gabriel the whole time. 

“What you say is ‘thank you,’” the Huntsman said, his voice deep and husky. “You be grateful for what I’ve done for you today. That is, unless you’re looking to thank me more…?” 

Gabriel’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger. He had to get out of there. He was barely able to get the words out, but somehow, he managed to say, “Thank you, Lorcasiel. Please… Let me go.”

The Huntsman smirked. “Yeah, alright. You’re free to go, since you asked so nicely.” 

Bruised wrists were released, and the Terran boy stepped back from him, twirling the stolen feather between his fingers. Gabriel only hesitated a moment before moving away, practically running out of that dark corridor. 

“Hey, baby,” Lorcas called after him. “Get your boyfriend to help with that little problem you’ve got there.” Gabriel could hear the smug grin in his words.

Jerking his shirt down to cover the humiliating bulge in his pants, Gabriel sprinted toward his room. The taste of Lorcas in his mouth made him feel sick. The smell of the older boy clung to his skin and filled his nose. Gabriel’s hands shook, and his heart pounded against his chest, but he couldn’t forget how soft Lorcas’ lips had been. 

_Fuck!_

What was wrong with him?!

He slammed the door shut to his room and jumped into bed before anyone could see him. Erem stood up, concerned, but Gabriel snapped, “Alex is fine. Leave me the fuck alone, I’m tired!” He pulled the blanket over his head and pretended to go to sleep. 

Barach and Erem gave him space, but he didn’t sleep at all that night. All he could think of was Lorcas’ touch, and he absolutely hated him for it.


	54. Alex: 24th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Near the end of the month, Squad Veh performs their flight routine in class.

Wind rushed through Alex’s hair as he raced after Nenghi, propelling himself faster in her wake. He slapped her outstretched hand as he shot by, glancing back briefly to see her grinning at him. They veered off in different directions as Uzzi and Phrasa spiraled together in the air, switching sides and following. Mace and Isa dove down between them, sharply turning in a synchronized move that looked effortless, though it had taken them nearly two months to learn. They all came together in a crisscrossing wave, practically perfect. 

“Good hustle, Squad Veh. Much better. You’re all showing some great improvement,” said Instructor Dardiel, clapping a couple times. “Squad Drax, you’re up next. Move it!” 

The next squad jumped into the air, quickly running the routine for the instructor. 

Alex and his friends landed on the grass near the tree, a little further away from the other two squads who had already gone. There were about a dozen squads remaining to run the routine and receive their evaluation, so they would be waiting a while. Alex had been nervous about going so soon, but he was glad they’d gotten it over with. 

The squad sat beneath the tree, spread out in the shade. They were all breathing hard, but smiling.

 _Good job_ , Phrasa signed. 

“I knew we could do it,” said Isa proudly. “Mace, that move went perfect.”

“I told you we had to hit it on the tenth beat,” Mace replied, grinning back at him. They bumped knuckles, then lay back in the grass to recuperate. 

Alex folded his legs beneath him and sat next to Phrasa. _Do you think we passed?_ he asked, using the signs she had taught him.

_Absolutely. In fact, I think we’re better than half of them. If we have to retake this exam, I will be shocked._

Smiling, Alex signed, _It was fun. I wouldn’t mind flying it again._

Phrasa laughed silently. _We can fly it again, New Moon, but not for class. I don’t want to come back here during a break to practice it until Instructor Dardiel is happy._

“Me neither,” said Uzzi. “I want to finally get a weekend off. Dardiel is such a hardass about forms.” He sighed and lay down next to Alex. “Besides, we start relays next month. We’re going to destroy the other squads.”

Phrasa nodded with enthusiasm. 

Nenghi crouched in front of Alex. She held out her hand, and he reached toward her, performing the complicated handshake they’d been developing. At the end, they slid their palms across each other, then made the signs for each other’s names, but the way they did it made it look like the frog was eating the moon. Alex grinned and Nenghi laughed. 

“I swear you’re getting faster,” chirped Nenghi. “If your wings were bigger, I bet you could beat Blossom.”

“No way,” said Uzzi. “I’m the one New Moon needs to beat. I’m faster than her.”

“Wanna race and prove it?” Mace offered.

“Uh… We just had our evaluation. It wouldn’t be fair- I mean, to you. Since you’re probably tired, you know,” stammered Uzzi, trying to get out of losing another race to Mace. 

The girl was fast, her bigger wings able to propel her forward easily, but she also had the endurance to keep flying long after Alex had to give up. Uzzi beat her once, but only because an errant gust of wind had pushed her off course at the last moment.

“I’ll race you any day, Inferno,” said Mace, lazily closing her eyes. 

Isa rolled onto his belly so he could look at all of them. “My cousin told me the relays aren’t just about being fast, but it helps, especially at the end. If we start with New Moon to get ahead of everyone, then end with Mace to hit the final stretch, there’s no way we can lose.”

 _We don’t even know the course yet,_ signed Phrasa. _We’ll decide what order we run the relay in after we’ve had a chance to check it out._

“I guess,” said Isa, rolling back onto his back. He watched the current squad performing and scoffed. “They screwed that part up.”

For a while, they all looked up, watching the other squad perform. They weren’t awful, but even Alex noticed a few parts of the routine they didn’t get right. When they landed and the next squad flew up, Alex tapped Nenghi’s knee. She turned back to him, a wide grin stretched across her face. 

_Let’s practice_ , he signed, because it was easier talking to her with his hands. 

_Okay_ , she replied, then they started going through the intricate handshake again. They kept tweaking it, trying out new moves and adjusting the rhythm of it, but they always ended with the frog eating the moon. It was both their favorite part. 

The rest of the morning proceeded like that, relaxed beneath the tree waiting for the other squads to finish their routines. Uzzi got up to wander after a bit, then Isa and Mace hopped up and joined him. They talked loudly at each other as they kicked a rock back and forth, but they weren’t arguing. It was like how Alex’s brother talked with his friends. Kind of mean sometimes, but still as friends. Alex was glad to see them all getting along. 

Unfortunately, just before the last squad took to the sky, disaster struck. An explosion rocked the plateau. Lightning snapped down from the cloudless sky, hitting the tree Alex and two of his friend sat under. Bark flew off the tree, pelting them with the sharp edges as the deafening boom of thunder vibrated through their chests. Nenghi ducked, covering her ears while screaming. Phrasa was flung back, having been sitting close enough to feel the electricity hit the tree. 

Alex just looked up, thinking, _Oh no._

The lightning had split the tree in half, the big branch above him cracking off. Time slowed to vivid detail, but Alex was paralyzed. He could only watch it drop toward him. 

The tree limb hit, shaking the ground beneath them even as it landed on top of Alex. He felt his ribs snap in quick succession, a series of staccato pops. He couldn’t breathe. The branch was too heavy. 

Soft cries gradually filled the air. Alex realized he’d lost his hearing for a moment due to the thunderous explosion. What he was hearing was Nenghi, trapped beneath the offshoots of branches and leaves. She was hurt.

Alex tried to move the limb off the top of him so he could go help his friend. He didn’t want her to be hurt. He pushed on the branch, trying to lift it up. His arms trembled, but it raised enough that he could take in a deep breath. His lung grated against his broken ribs. He squirmed, getting most of his torso out from beneath the branch before his arms gave out. It thudded back down on his lower belly, squishing his soft organs beneath its weight. He winced, but at least he could breath. He could try again. He had to help Nenghi. 

Dardiel flew over with Marliel. “Get that end!” she yelled at her assistant. “Lift it off them!” He grabbed the limb near Alex, wrapping his arms around it. He strained, but the branch didn’t move. He tried again, wings beating at his back. It just barely raised. 

Uzzi, Isa, and Mace arrived then, grabbing other parts of the broken limb as Dardiel yelled orders. She was in the branches, snapping them off and moving them out of the way, trying to reach Nenghi. “Lift!” she yelled, straining against a branch. All of them lifted, and the broken tree limb raised. Alex pulled himself out from under the wood, looking over as Dardiel grabbed Nenghi and removed her from among the leaves. 

The limb thudded back to the ground as it slipped from Marliel and the children’s hands, but Alex was clear. Alex backed into Phrasa. She touched his shoulder and signed, _What happened?_ There was a dazed look in her eyes. She was covered in fragments of burnt wood and scorch marks.

 _Lightning_ , he signed back, because he didn’t trust his voice. _Tree._

She blinked at him as if she still didn’t understand.

Dardiel carried Nenghi over to Alex and Phrasa. She sat the girl down and started looking them all over. 

“Owie,” Nenghi cried. “My arm. It hurts.” She was covered in cuts and bruises, but her arm was the biggest issue. It was clearly broken. 

“Hold still, dear,” said Dardiel. “Let me see.” When Nenghi pulled her hand back from her upper arm, Dardiel’s eyes went wide, but she said, “That’s not so bad, dear. The medics will get you fixed right up.”

“It hurts so much,” Nenghi whimpered, but she looked down at her arm. She immediately paled and fainted as she saw the bone sticking out of her skin. 

“Ah! Don’t look!” Dardiel said, much too late. “Marliel, did you send for the medic?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, checking over Phrasa. He held up his fingers in front of her face, but she just stared at him, barely acknowledging he was there. 

Dardiel checked Nenghi’s pulse, then nodded. “She’ll be okay. This is probably easier for her.” She moved over to Alex. “How about you?”

“Ribs, lung, intestine, and bladder,” he said, listing off all his recognizable injuries. “It’s hard to breathe.” He coughed, and blood bubbled up from his lips. He swiped it away with the back of his hand. 

“Ahnnak Alexiel, the medic is coming right away. Don’t move around too much,” said the instructor, trying not to sound panicked. She didn't attempt to touch him. Neither did Marliel. They had learned after last time.

Uzzi, Isa, and Mace slowly approached, all of them displaying the same look of terror that came with watching something bad happen and not being able to do anything to stop it. Dardiel held up a hand, stopping them from coming any closer.

“Is Froggy dead?” Mace whispered.

“Your squad mates will be alright,” said Dardiel. “Terran Marliel, please gather all the children and take them to the stones with Terran Simiel. Those three included.”

“No,” said Uzzi, stepping forward. “I won’t leave them.

“Me neither,” said Isa, his voice shaking. 

“You can’t make us go,” said Mace. She moved over to Phrasa and crouched beside her. “We’re a team. We stick together.”

“That’s right,” said Uzzi. “We’re staying.” He walked over and sat between Alex and Phrasa. Isa followed him, sitting on the other side of Alex, beside Nenghi. 

Dardiel looked at them all, a little bewildered at the display of defiance. 

“What should I do?” asked Marliel.

“Just… take the rest of the class.” The instructor sighed. “I’ll stay here with these six.”

Uzzi touched Alex’s hand, finding his fingers buried in the dirt. Alex smiled at him, though he knew he wasn’t able to keep all the pain off his face. The touch of his friend was a nice distraction from the pain. If he focused on the way Uzzi linked their fingers together, focused on that soft discomfort, the one containing no real malice, he could block out the pain in the rest of his body.

Sort of. 

He started coughing, and had to pull away from Uzzi. Alex covered his face with both hands, every cough grinding his broken ribs together and spilling blood from his mouth. He lifted the edge of his shirt, wiping the blood from his chin and the tears from his eyes. His exposed belly was darkening with a wave of bruising as blood filled his abdomen. 

“I don’t feel so good,” Alex whispered, leaning back. “I want Remiel.” Everything was still moving. He wasn’t sure he had laid down completely. He couldn’t feel the grass beneath him. “I want my brother.” He could feel the blood spreading through his ruptured organs. Dizziness overcame him. Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision. 

Uzzi leaned over him. His mouth was moving, like he was yelling. Alex could read his lips. It was his name. Uzzi was shouting Alex’s name. Why couldn’t he hear him? Alex closed his eyes. His last thought before he passed out was, _Uzzi should use his hands to talk._


	55. Gabriel: 24th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

During his lunch break, Gabriel sat in the hall outside the math class, double checking his work and labels from the day before. Everything seemed to be in order. 

He glanced up as a couple girls walked by. “Did you hear that thunder?” said one.

“It sounded really close,” said the other.

“I know! It’s weird, though, the sky is mostly clear today…” 

Their chatter faded out as they went further down the hall. Gabriel returned to his work, checking it over again. He really didn’t like math. He didn’t like memorizing the algorithms and equations. Everything had to be so precise. In all his other classes, he could improvise a bit and still impress the instructors, but math had to be exact. 

Ori appeared and sat down beside him, handing him an apple. He waved it away, ignoring the hurt look on her face. “Is everything okay, Gabe?” she asked.

“It’s fine,” he said, his tone cold. He didn’t look at her, just kept going through his work.

The girl was undeterred. “It’s just, you’ve been kind of distant lately. You haven’t been coming to the study group, and-”

“It’s a waste of my time,” he snapped. “Do you mind? I’m trying to read.”

She blinked at him several times, shocked. Still, she didn’t take the hint. “Is this about what happened to your brother? Because he ran away?”

“It’s not. Just leave me alone.”

“No,” she said stubbornly. “I won’t. You’re not acting like yourself, Gabe, and I know something is wrong. Why won’t you talk to me?”

There was a lot wrong, and he didn’t want to talk to anyone about any of it. He glared at her and said, “Why do you even care, Ori?”

“Because…” Her cheeks flushed slightly. “Because I like you, Gabe. I want you to trust me to help you.”

Gabriel stared at her, his lip curled back in disgust. “I don’t like you. I don’t like any of you. You’re all been lying to me, and I want you to just leave me alone.” He stood up and walked to the classroom door, opening it, even though he knew it was still too early for Instructor Tassin to be happy about him being there. “Sorry, Instructor.”

“Ahnnak Gabriel, I’ve told you before-”

“I need help on a problem from yesterday. I can’t remember how to apply the differential to determine the acceleration.” 

Tassin glared at him, his brow furrowed. “I will explain it to you one more time, Ahnnak, but after that, you better find one of your peers to work with.”

“Yes, Instructor.” Gabriel approached the Homm’s desk, even as he felt Ori watching him from the doorway. The man started explaining the problem again, pointing out the mistakes Gabriel had made in his work. He was annoyed to find he’d made three. Maybe it had been a good idea to talk to the instructor, not just to escape Ori. 

When it was close enough to class that other students started arriving, Gabriel bowed to Instructor Tassin, thanked him for his help, then took his seat. Ori entered the room, looking sad with a crease in her brow and a pout on her lips. She sat beside Gabriel, but didn’t try to talk to him.

 _Thank the Isten for that_ , he thought, flipping open his book. Class began, and Tassin hadn’t even been talking for five minutes before the door opened. 

“What now?” the Homm complained. He stalked over to the door, taking the message from the messenger. He read it over a couple times, scowling. “Ahnnak Gabriel, you’re needed in the medic’s office,” he said, sounding completely put out by the interruption.

Gabriel’s heart stopped. His wings snapped out as he stood. _Alex_. Something had happened to Alex. He just knew it. He walked up to the instructor, trying not to look as anxious as he felt. “Can I turn in my assignment now?” he asked, holding the parchment out to him. 

For a second, Tassin didn’t look like he was going to accept it. Then his hand reached out and took the assignment. “This time I’ll allow it. I want you to come see me after class, though.”

“Yes, Instructor.” He bowed quickly, then rushed out of the room, running to the medic’s office.

***

There were three beds in the medic’s office, all of them filled. Two children Gabriel didn’t recognize lay in the far beds, and the curtain was drawn around the other bed on the other side of the room. He pulled it back, knowing that was where he would find Alex.

Uzzi startled, looking up as Gabriel flung the curtain back. He was holding Alex’s hand. He looked guilty. Rage flashed through Gabriel as he grabbed Uzzi, yanking him away. “What did you do?!”

“Nothing!” the boy squeaked. 

Medic Haniel touched Gabriel’s shoulder. “Ahnnak Gabriel, calm down. There was an accident on the plateau. Lightning struck a tree these children happened to be sitting under. They will be alright, but they need to rest.” 

“Lightning?” Gabriel turning his eyes to his brother. Alex was asleep, breathing easy as a halo of yellow energy surrounded his head. A blanket lay over him, but Gabriel could see the bruising around his collarbone.

“He’s been stabilized,” said Medic Haniel. “Don’t worry. I was able to stop the bleeding quickly. Isten know I’ve gotten enough practice on him lately. So, if you don’t mind, put Uzziel down now.”

Gabriel glared at the boy he held, tightening his grip for a moment as he snarled, “You stay away from Alex. The next time I see you touch him, I’m going to break your neck.”

Uzzi gulped. “Got it,” he whispered. He scampered away as soon as Gabriel released him, going over to join the two other children sitting at the bedsides of the other injured students. They were all watching Gabriel with wide-eyed expressions of awe and fear.

_Good._

Gabriel flipped the curtain closed again, standing within with Medic Haniel and Alex. She checked Alex’s pulse and lifted his blanket to examine his chest and stomach, but settled the cloth around him again and said, “He’s going to be fine.”

“Where’s Remiel?” Gabriel asked, sitting on the bed beside his brother. 

“He left. The Headmaster called for him.”

“Left.” Gabriel scowled. How could Remiel leave Alex alone like this?

“Yes. I’m afraid the Headmaster was rather insistent. Are you going to remain here?” asked Medic Haniel.

“I’m staying,” he said. 

“Good. Alert me if his pulse drops, but I have a broken bone I need to get set.” She walked briskly through the curtain and went to the other side of the room. 

Gabriel touched his brother’s hand, sliding his fingers over the scratches that covered the boy’s pale skin. His thumb pressed lightly against Alex’s wrist, feeling the steady beat of his pulse. Gabriel closed his eyes, focusing on that rhythm, trying not to let the guilt consume him. 

Lightning struck a tree. Lightning on a clear day. It wasn’t an accident. Of course it wasn’t an accident. It was Gabriel’s fault. His father was punishing him for not passing all his classes, taking it out on Alex, just like he promised. Maybe, he was even punishing him for getting in trouble, for leaving the academy to find Alex when he ran away. Maybe he was punishing them both.

Gabriel sighed, leaning down to press his forehead against Alex’s upturned palm. His wings trembled above him, filled with too much tension to lie flat. He hated seeing Alex like this. Why did he have to keep getting hurt? Gabriel was trying. He was doing his best, but it still wasn’t good enough. 

He couldn’t keep living like this. Maybe he could run away, just take Alex and run away. They could hide somewhere no one could find them. Cut off their hair so no one recognized them. Hide in the mountains or a forest, living off the land until Gabriel was old enough to buy a house. No one would ever hurt Alex again. 

Gabriel knew it wasn’t possible, though. Missing children, especially those born of an Isten, were widely searched for. They would be tracked down and brought back to Archridge. They would be brought back to Jequn. Who knew what he would try to do to them after they ran away. Definitely nothing good.

No, Gabriel just had to try harder. He had to do whatever it took to keep Alex safe. He had to stop him from ever getting hurt again.


	56. Barachiel: 25th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

Barach had just finished lacing up his pants when there was a knock at the door. He exchanged a look with Erem. It was early morning on the first day of the end of month break. Who would possibly be bothering them now? Gabriel was still in bed, laying with his pillow over his head. He was supposed to go down to the stables with Barach today, but he’d been in such a bad mood last night after Alex got hurt that Barach was just going to let him sleep. 

There was another knock on the door. Erem got up, walking over in just his pajama bottoms. He cracked the door open, glaring out. “What do you want?”

There was a girl’s voice. Why would a girl be visiting them this early?

“He’s sleeping. Go away,” Erem said, slamming the door shut. He glared at the wood for a bit, then turned to Barach. “There’s a girl out there asking to talk to Gabe.”

“Who was it?”

“I don’t know. Just some girl. Why are girls coming here at all?” 

Another knock occurred, louder this time. Erem bared his teeth then flung the door open wide enough that Barach could see a brown haired girl with pink cheeks. “What?!” Erem yelled.

“I’m not leaving until I talk to Gabe,” she said. She looked into the room. “If he’s sleeping, I’ll wait until he wakes up, but I’m coming in.” She walked forward, stepping under Erem’s arm as he tried to stop her.

“You can’t just barge in here!” Erem shouted. “Who do you think you are?!”

She spun to face him, her skirts swirling around her. “My name is Ori. I’m Gabe’s girlfriend.”

“G-Girlfriend!?” Erem exclaimed. He looked like he had stopped breathing. He looked like he wanted to kill her. 

Barach hurried over, wrapping an arm around Erem’s shoulders to keep him from doing anything rash. “Nice to meet you Ori. I’m Barach. This is Erem. We’re Gabe’s friends.”

She frowned a bit, watching Erem suspiciously. “Nice to meet you, too. Gabe doesn’t talk about you guys much.”

Erem was shaking like he was going to explode. Barach kept a tight hold on him, though he tried to make it look casual. “I’m surprised, too. Gabe hadn’t mentioned having a girlfriend to us, either.”

Ori looked a little relieved. “I see. I guess it’s just in his nature to keep secrets.” She smiled at them a bit. “I was afraid it was just me.”

“Not just you. Gabe likes his privacy, which is why, maybe, you should come back later,” said Barach, trying to smile in a friendly way while encouraging her to leave. He wasn’t sure how long Erem could last. 

“It’s important. Actually, do you think you guys could leave us alone? It’s kind of private, what I want to talk to Gabe about.”

“Absolutely not!” Erem erupted. “You think you can just walk in here claiming to be Gabe’s girlfriend and tell us to leave?!”

“I _am_ Gabe’s girlfriend! We’ve been dating since we came back from Harvest.” Ori crossed her arms, glaring at Erem. “It’s not my fault he doesn’t trust you enough to share his love life with you.”

“LOVE LIFE?!” Erem launched forward, Barach’s quick grab of his waist the only thing preventing Erem from tackling Ori. He held his struggling, blue-skinned boyfriend, trying to avoid getting hit by his thrashing wings.

“Stop it,” said Barach, straining. “You’re going to wake Gabe up.”

“I’m already awake,” came the annoyed voice from the bed. Gabriel sat up, feet hanging off the edge of the bed, only wearing a tied length of fabric around his waist. It was parted, showing most of one thigh, but it kept the important bits covered. His silver hair stuck up wildly from sleeping with the pillow over his head all night, but his cold eyes were sharp, focused on all of them.

Ori stared at him a moment, taking in his state of undress, her cheeks turning pinker. “G-Gabe! I need to talk with you.”

“I heard.” He rested his forearms on his knees, peering down at her from his high bed. “I told you not to come here.”

“I don’t know why you want to keep secrets from everyone, but you can trust me. They already know we’re dating now. You don’t have to hide it anymore.”

“Tell this fiend-taken whore she’s delusional!” Erem yelled. “Tell her to leave!” 

Gabriel scowled, looking at Erem. “Don’t talk about my girlfriend like that,” he said, confirming the girl’s words and crushing Erem all in one blow. Barach felt Erem flinch as if Gabriel had hit him. There were tears in his yellow eyes.

“It’s not funny,” said Erem. “This isn’t funny, Gabe.” His voice cracked, emotion overcoming him. “Stop lying to me.”

“I’m not lying. Barach, can you guys give me some privacy? This won’t take long.” He motioned toward the door.

“Sure Gabe,” Barach said, pulling Erem with him. Erem protested, struggling against Barach’s hold, but he got him out the door. It closed behind them, leaving Gabriel and Ori alone in the dorm room.

Erem shoved Barach off him, tears pouring down his cheek. He pushed Barach back against the stone wall across from their door. “Why?! How could he not say anything?!” He hit Barach’s chest repeatedly, taking out his betrayed feelings on him. 

Barach stood against the wall, letting Erem punch him until his boyfriend finally broke down and started crying. Wrapping his arms around him, Barach pulled him to his chest, holding Erem tight at he bawled. 

“It’s okay, Erem. I’m here for you.”

They stood in the hall, which was thankfully empty that early in the morning, and waited. Eventually Erem calmed enough that he stopped crying, though he wiped his tears and snot on Barach’s chest. When the door opened a few minutes later, Barach released him so they were standing side by side as Ori emerged. 

The girl smiled at them both, her cheeks bright pink. “See you later, boys,” she said cheerfully, then skipped off. 

“I hate her,” Erem declared.

“Come on. Let’s go back in.”

They entered their room to find Gabriel getting dressed. He only glanced at them briefly, keeping his back to them as he tied on his pants. 

“Is she really your girlfriend?” Erem asked, the pain in his voice lessened, even though he still looked like he was going to cry.

“Yes.” Gabriel tied the bow tight, then grabbed a shirt from his closet and pulled it on. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Barach asked.

“Because it’s none of your business,” said Gabriel. He twisted the shirt behind his back and brought the ends around to the front, tying it off across his stomach. “I don’t have to tell you everything.”

“But we’re your friends, Gabe,” said Barach.

“At least I thought we were,” muttered Erem. 

Gabriel turned around now that he was fully dressed. “It doesn’t even matter. I don’t know why you’re getting so upset about this. Ori is good at math. She’s been helping me study, and I started meeting her on the cliffs during lunch at the beginning of the month. Somewhere along the way, she decided that meant we were dating. I could still use her help, so I’ve just been going along with it.”

“Gabe, you can’t lie to a girl like that,” said Barach.

“I’m not lying to her. I’m being her boyfriend. I hold her hand when she sits next to me, and I listen to her talk. It benefits us both. I get help with math, and she gets to brag that she’s dating an Ahnnak.” He swept his hands through his silver hair, untangling some of the knots.

“You need to break up with her,” said Erem. “She’s terrible.”

“She’s not that bad, Erem. She’s been worried about me because I’ve been distant. I told her it was because of Alex, and told her what happened yesterday.” 

“And she believed you?” asked Barach.

Gabriel shrugged. “I also kissed her. She didn’t ask a lot of questions after that.”

“You kissed her?!” Erem shouted.

Gabriel clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing with fury. “It was just a fucking kiss. Who the fuck cares about a stupid kiss?” He turned to the wall, checking his blurry reflection in the mirror. He finished smoothing his hair, shaking it out so it lay straight around his shoulders. 

Erem watched him for a while, fresh tears in his eyes. “How could you…” He swallowed hard. “How could you do this without saying anything to me?”

“I don’t need your permission, Erem,” said Gabriel coldly. 

Wings opening and closing against his back, as he often did when he was upset, Erem said, “I’m not asking you to get my permission. We’re friends, Gabe. You shouldn’t be hiding something like this from me. I shouldn’t have to find out from some random bitch outside my door at the ass crack of dawn that you’ve got a girlfriend.”

Gabriel turned around to face him, glaring. “I already told you not to talk about my girlfriend like that. I need her help, Erem, a lot more than I need yours, and if you can’t get that through to your water-logged brain, I will make a choice, and it won’t be you.”

Erem stepped back, his hand clutching at his chest as if Gabriel had just stabbed him through the heart. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he swallowed hard, but was unable to speak.

Barach was furious. How dare Gabriel talk to Erem like that. He marched forward and punched Gabriel in the face with everything he had. Gabriel fell on his ass. 

“Apologize,” Barach demanded, standing over him.

Gabriel touched his mouth, coming away with blood. He glared up at Barach. “Like hell I will.” He stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth with his palm. “I’m not apologizing for anything. I will do what I have to do, and if you can’t handle that, I don’t need either of you as my friend.” He spit blood out on the floor. “I’m going out. I’m going to check on Alex, then I have a date tonight. I won’t be back for dinner.” 

Barach wanted to hit him again. Instead, he just watched as Gabriel left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. As the door crashed shut, Erem slumped to the floor, dissolving into a fit of tears so strong, it was all Barach could do to sit next to him and hold him.


	57. Gabriel: 25th Degree of Justice, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel goes on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Warning: chapter contains trans character discussing personal details and Gabriel being an ignorant ass))

Gabriel sat with Alex for a few hours while Remiel went up to Marut with Sophie to run some errands. He read his brother a couple stories, listened to him talk about his flight class, and lay down with him when he needed to take a nap, but he couldn’t relax. He lay with his brother pressed against his side, slowly stroking his black hair while the boy slept, but he couldn’t stop worrying.

He had a date tonight.

Sort of.

He had kissed Ori to shut her up. He had kissed her because that’s what boyfriends and girlfriends did. It was his first kiss with a girl, and it was dull and flat. She tasted like soap and shallots. But she’d been happy. She blushed. She stopped asking him questions. He promised to see her tonight so that she would leave and allow him to get dressed. He promised he would talk to her then. 

Gabriel had no intention of discussing anything of depth with Ori. She wasn’t a bad person. She was smart and kind, but she idolized him. She treated him like he was a prince, like he was some noble, reserved, and restrained boy who she alone was able to connect with. He had slipped her a few lines about his distress over his brother, and she had practically swooned, thinking she was finally connecting with him. 

He could have been friends with her, but that wasn’t what she wanted from him. And he still needed her help in math, so he couldn’t break up with her. For now.

Alex shifted a bit, whimpering in his sleep. His wings fluttered against his back, like he was trying to fly away from something. Someone, probably. 

“Shh, Alex, I’m here,” Gabriel whispered. “You’re safe, I’m here.” He gently touched his shoulder. 

For a brief moment, Alex scrunched up his face like he was going to cry. Then he exhaled, the tension melting out of his body. He nuzzled his nose against Gabriel’s side, then resumed sleeping peacefully. 

Gabriel sighed, watching the little boy. It wasn’t fair. Lorcasiel had been right. Alex didn’t deserve a brother like him. He deserved someone who could protect him. 

He rubbed his face with his hands. He had to do better. 

When Alex woke from his nap about an hour later, he yawned and stretched, his whole body vibrating. He nestled back in at Gabriel’s side, peering up at him with wide black eyes. “Hello, Brother.”

“Have a good nap?”

Alex hesitated a moment, then nodded. He didn’t mention his bad dream, and Gabriel wasn’t about to bring it up. If the little boy was lucky, he didn’t remember it. 

“I’m not going to be staying much longer,” said Gabriel. “Just until Remiel gets back.”

“I’m sorry you couldn’t go down to the stables with Barach today.”

“It’s no big deal. You know I’d rather be here with you. Besides… I kind of made Barach angry this morning.”

“What happened?”

“I said something really mean to Erem… Something I probably shouldn’t have said at all, and I didn’t apologize.” He grimaced. “I’m not sure they’ll want to be my friends anymore.”

“Do you still want to be friends with them?”

Gabriel shrugged. “Of course. I just… I don’t have time to worry about their feelings right now, especially when what I do doesn’t have anything to do with them.”

Alex watched him with expressionless black eyes. He got that look sometimes when he was struggling to understand something the way other people did, especially when it went against the rules he learned growing up with Jequn. “Just say sorry, Brother,” he said. “Sorry is easy when it’s just words.” Alex slipped off the bed and padded barefoot into the bathroom, mostly closing the door behind him. 

The unfortunate thing about Alex’s statement was that it was true. There was no reason Gabriel couldn’t say sorry to Erem. His friend would forgive him. Erem always forgave him. He’d been with him since first year, always supported every stupid plan Gabriel came up with, always took his punishment with him. He’d never been anything but loyal, and he didn’t deserve what Gabriel had said to him. 

The next time he saw Erem, he would have to apologize to him. Maybe he’d even apologize to Barach, too.

Gabriel slipped off the bed and stretched, raising his arms and wings up over his head. He heard Remiel and Sophie in the hall, and called to Alex, “They’re coming back.” 

Alex emerged from the bathroom, smoothing his shirt down over his leggings. He winced a little as he touched his ribs. “Are you leaving now?”

“Yeah. Sorry, little brother. I’ll stop by and see you tomorrow if I get a chance. I have schoolwork I need to complete yet and- Shit!” 

“What?” Alex asked, started by the expletive.

“I was supposed to meet Tassin yesterday after class and I completely forgot.” He sighed, pushing his hands back through his silver hair, gathering it in a knot at the back of his head. “He’s going to be pissed… Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now.” He released his hair and gave Alex a quick smile before Remiel and Sophie came in.

“I brought treats!” Remiel exclaimed, holding up a couple wrapped bundles. He tossed one to Gabriel, and then gently lobbed one to Alex. The little boy caught it, grinning up at Remiel.

“Is this…?”

“You bet. I bought every one they had.”

Alex hurried over to the bed, laying the bundle down and picking at the knot. Gabriel watched him, curious what the little boy would be so excited about. 

Remiel pointed to Gabriel’s bundle. “It’s honey bread and sesame snaps. You can share it with your roommates if you want, or eat it all in the hall before you go back.” He smiled. “Whichever you want.”

“Thanks, Remi,” said Gabriel, already knowing what he would do with it. 

Sophie walked over and sat on the bed beside Alex. “Need help?” she asked, pointing at the bundle.

“I got it,” he said, picking the fabric apart and untwisting the knot. He peeled the cloth back, staring at the red pile of peppers eagerly. 

“Oh, Remi, you can’t give him that,” said Gabriel, disappointed. “Those will burn his taste buds out, not to mention his stomach lining.”

“He likes them, Gabriel,” said Remiel. “I don’t think he can even taste the spiciness. Though… Alexiel, why don’t you wait until tomorrow before you eat any. Give your stomach another day to heal.”

“Do I have to?” Alex whined, sounding exactly like a nine year old was supposed to sound. 

Gabriel hid his smile behind his hand. He walked over and ruffled Alex’s hair. “You listen to Remi. Be good. I’ve got to go.”

Alex turned from the bed, giving Gabriel a quick hug before he released him and went back to admiring the pile of peppers. He began laying them out, arranging them by size as Gabriel left.

“Thanks for the snack, Remi,” said Gabriel, waving to him. “I might stop by tomorrow, if I get a chance.”

“See you, Gabriel. We’ll be here.” Remiel waved back, and Gabriel went off to prepare for his date.

***

When Gabriel stopped by the room to apologize to his friends and give them the snack bundle, they weren’t there. He sat it on Erem’s bed, then took a moment to write out a note of apology that started with, “Dear Erem and Barach, I was an asshole,” and continued from there. He placed it next to the bundle and hoped they would accept it.

He cleaned up and checked his hair in the mirror, making sure it lay smooth and straight, before heading out to meet Ori for their date. They were supposed to meet on the cliffs, and when he arrived early, he found her already waiting. 

She waves excitedly, hopping up and down as he flew up and landed beside her. “Hi Gabe! I know I’m early, but I thought you might be early, so I wanted to be early so you didn’t have to wait for me.” She grinned, deep dimples forming in her cheeks. 

Gabriel tried smiling at her, trying to keep his face light and happy. “You’re so thoughtful, Ori.” He leaned forward, placing a light kiss against her cheek. She blushed magenta. “You want to walk for a bit?”

“S-Sure,” she said, practically glowing. He took her hand, and they walked side by side through the autumn fields. She picked up a late blooming flower with little blue petals. “Oh, look, it matches your eyes.” She offered it to him.

He took the flower and examined it, then turned to her and tucked it in her hair. “There. Very pretty.” 

She looked so happy. They started walking again, and she wrapped herself around his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. 

Gabriel took a moment to look away from her, relax his face, and roll his eyes. This was the type of silly thing the girls always talked about liking. _Their perfect date_. He had listened to enough of the inane babble when they were should have been studying that he thought he understood pretty well what most girl expected on a date. Lots of sweet little compliments, holding hands, and acting like there was nowhere he would rather be than with her.

It was going to be a long evening.

Flipping his hair back from his face, Gabriel sighed. 

“Is something wrong?” Ori asked, tilting her face toward him.

“I…” _I don’t want to be here._ “I’m just thinking about my brother. Hoping he’s okay.” He gave her a small smile, showing a little of his concern.

“Aw, Gabe, it’s so sweet how you worry for him. I’m sure he’ll be alright. We’ve got the best medics in E’din at the academy.” She squeezed his arm again, laying her cheek back on his shoulder. “You know, I was worried.”

“About?”

“You. The way you’ve been acting. I thought you didn’t like me. I’m glad that wasn’t it. I wish you had told me about your brother before, though. I’d like to meet him.” 

There was _no way_ he was letting her get anywhere near Alex. “Maybe after he’s better,” he replied, his words slightly more crisp than he meant them to be.

“I’d like that.” She smiled at him. “Gabe, do you think we can go to Marut tonight? I heard about a new tea shop there I’d like to try.”

“A tea shop?”

“They also sell little honey cakes, with glazed fruit on top. They’re delicious.”

“You’ve tried them already?”

“I, uh… One of my friends brought one back after she went there.” There was a buzz about her words, something that made them feel off somehow. Like she was lying to him. Why would she be lying about cake?

Gabriel tilted his head, his lips pressed in a thin smile. “Well, if you think it’s worth trying, I’ll go there with you.”

Ori leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Great, let’s go.”

***

The flight into Marut was fairly brief across the top of the plateau. Gabriel flew behind Ori, smiling every time she looked back at him, letting his face rest when she didn’t. His mind wandered while he flew, wondering if Barach and Erem had found the note already. Would they really forgive him that easily?

Ori dropped down toward the market area, which was a popular destination for academy students in the Marut. Stone, wood, and clay buildings all intermixed to create the sprawling city, stretching as far as Gabriel could see. Over twenty-thousand people lived in Marut, though more than half of them were Homm. Much of the population worked at the mills on the edges of town, creating goods needed elsewhere in E’din, like lumber, steel, and wheat. It was a crowded place, and loud, even this late in the day.

They landed in a courtyard, then Ori took Gabriel’s hand and pulled him down a side street covered in bright canopies of fabric. They walked by some stalls selling food, others selling decorative jewelry, but Ori didn’t look at any of them. It was like she was in a hurry to get to the tea shop.

They arrived outside the small building, and Ori stopped, suddenly looking nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked her, giving her hand a squeeze. Why did this feel like a trap?

“I… I like you, Gabe, you know that, right?”

“Yes…” This was definitely a trap.

“I don’t want you to be angry at me.”

Gabriel glanced up. The fabric coverings over the street would make it difficult to fly out of there. “Why would I be angry?” he asked calmly.

“There was something you said yesterday, when you were upset outside Tassin’s room. I know you didn’t really mean it, but… I talked to Sera.”

Gabriel turned, looking at Ori sharply. “You talked to Sera?”

The girl was nervous, and wouldn’t make direct eye contact. “I talk with Sera about everything. When I mentioned you called us all liars, she said she thought she knew what it was about. She wanted to talk to you, but the way you’ve been avoiding everyone at the academy lately, we thought it would be best for you to meet her somewhere else.”

Gabriel stared at her. Stared at the deception this plain Terran girl with straight cut hair and deep dimples had used on him. “This isn’t a date at all, is it?”

“It was- I mean, it still is, sort of,” she said, hands fluttering. “I like being with you, Gabe, but… You need to talk to Sera. She’s my best friend. If you’ve got a problem with her, I don’t know if I could keep dating you.”

He frowned at her. “Then maybe we shouldn’t be dating anymore.”

“Don’t talk like that, Gabe,” said Ori, turning him and shoving him toward the teashop. “Just go in and talk to her. She’s waiting.” She gave him another good shove, throwing him off balance enough that he took a couple stumbling steps through the cloth covered doorway of the shop. 

It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the room. The shopkeeper shouted, “Welcome! Please have a seat! I will be with you in a moment.”

He spotted Sera. She was alone at a table. She already had a cup of tea in her hand. She smiled at him and motioned to the seat across from her.

Gabriel sighed and slumped, walking over to take the seat. What a mess. “There are easier ways to talk to me,” he told her.

“Sorry, Gabriel. I know you’re upset. Get anything on the menu. It’s my treat.”

“I don’t need your money,” he said, annoyed. He pulled out a thick gold coin and slapped it on the table. 

“Gabriel, please. Don’t be angry at Ori, at least. This was my idea. She offered to help me, even though it meant lying to you.”

Scowling, Gabriel turned his face away and crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s what you all are good at, isn’t it? _Lying_.”

The Homm server came over, a big grin on her face. “What can I get for you today?” she asked. 

Gabriel tapped the gold coin. “Whatever this will get. All of it.”

Picking up the coin, the Homm’s eyes widened. “Y-Yes, sir, right away.” She hurried to the back room, and he heard something like a squeal of excitement, followed by excited chatter from the staff.

Gabriel looked back at Sera, who was watching him while she slowly stirred her tea. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a boy?” he asked.

“I didn’t try to hide it from you. I told you my name when we met.”

“Your name?”

“Seraphiel? Seraph, after the general? That’s a boy’s name. There are at least eight other students at Archridge named Seraph right now, all of them boys.”

Brow furrowed, Gabriel realized she was right. He did know a Seraph, a loud-mouthed Terran boy from some of his classes with Barach and Erem a few years ago. For some reason, he had never linked the gender to the name.

“Why would you lie about something like this?” he asked.

“Because I’m not really a boy,” she said.

“But you have-”

“I know, Gabriel. I am very aware, but my body does not define who I am.” 

“I don’t understand,” he said, the crease deepening between his brow.

The server came back over, grinning and bowing to Gabriel as she placed a delicate cup before him and a steaming pot of tea next to that. “I’ll be right back out with your cakes,” she said cheerfully.

Sera picked up the teapot and poured the fragrant liquid into Gabriel’s empty cup. Neither of them said anything during the short time the server was away. The server came back with a platter of little cakes, all individually plated, and started placing them on the table near Gabriel. By the time she was done, the table was covered in little cakes, all of which looked amazing. 

“If there’s anything else you need, please let me know,” she said cheerfully, then bowed again and went back to the kitchen.

For a moment, they both just stared at the table. Then Sera said, “That’s a lot of cake.”

Gabriel picked up a tiny fork, pulling the nearest plate to him. He probably should have been more specific with his order, but he wasn’t about to let the food go to waste. 

As he started eating, Sera sipped her tea. When she sat the cup back on the saucer, she said, “Lorcas admitted he kissed you.”

The metal fork bent in half, instantly becoming useless. He scowled down at it to avoid looking at Sera. “How can you be with someone like that? He’s a fiend.”

“I’ll tell you, if you really want to know, Gabriel.” She held out the fork that had been on her side of the table. 

He took it cautiously, his blue eyes glancing up to her face. “Are you going to explain why you act this way, too?”

Sera shrugged. “It’s kind of the same story.”

Gabriel nodded. “I’ll listen, but don’t think it’ll change how I feel about anything.”

“That’s your decision.” Sera took another sip of her tea. Gabriel resumed eating with the replacement fork she’d given him. The cake was slightly sweet, with a thin gel of lemon flavor between the layers. 

Holding her cup of tea like she needed it to keep warm, Sera began. “I wasn’t born a girl, though I should have been. I spent the first ten years of my life miserable, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. My dad laughed the first time he saw me wearing my mom’s skirts, then he realized I liked it and beat me every time he found me after that. The academy wasn’t much different. I tried to pretend to be someone else, but I wasn’t happy. I used to steal clothes from girls’ dorms to wear when I was alone, but eventually my matron found the stash. I got sent to the office, which was where I met Lorcas.” A light smile tugged at her lips.

“Lorcas was in trouble for getting into a fight and running away. We were both sent to be punished, getting our backsides reddened with a willow switch. I remember sobbing my eyes out, but he barely made a sound. After, when we were sitting and waiting for our matrons to come pick us up, he just sat there and held my hand while I sniffled.”

“How old were you?” Gabriel asked softly. There was a lot about her story that made him feel uncomfortable, mainly because it made him think of his little brother. The secrets, the unhappiness… it was all familiar, in a way.

“I was maybe nine when that happened,” said Sera. “He’s a year older than me.” She stared down into her teacup. “But I started seeing him more around the academy. He started talking to me. We became friends, and eventually I told him my secret. He was only eleven or twelve then, but he just looked at me and said, ‘I know. I know Sera, and you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.’” She smiled at the memory, and she really was beautiful. Gabriel looked down at his cake, only half eaten. Sera said, “Lorcas was the first person to see me as I am. He helped me be brave enough to be myself all the time, and because of him, I’ve got friends, I’m doing good in class, and I’m happy. I’ll cherish him forever for that.”

“Even if he cheats on you?” asked Gabriel, his words coming out harsh. 

Sera bit her lip. “He’s had a hard life. He doesn’t do it to hurt me. When he kissed you, he said he was just joking.” Her lavender eyes found Gabriel’s cold blue eyes. “He says he’s joking a lot.”

“He’s cruel.”

“I know, but… Lorcas is different when he’s alone with me. We’ve been together since before he joined the Hunt, since before he got a patron. We’ll be together after, too, I think, but they have certain expectations of him right now.”

Gabriel shook his head. Sera was completely smitten with that asshole. He doubted there was anything he could say to change that. “So the academy just lets you walk around like this? They’ve got to know what you really are.”

Sera rolled her eyes. “Of course they do. I’ve been working with the medics since I was twelve. They’re helping me.”

“What?! Why would they do that?”

Sera’s brow furrowed a bit. “You really think I’m the only person on E’din who was born feeling like I was? Fiends, Gabriel, I’m not even the only person at Archridge. There are even procedures and medicines they used on Ahn to help people find balance within themselves.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” he said defensively.

“Just because you haven’t heard of something doesn’t mean it’s not possible. I thought you were smarter than that.” Sera sat down her empty tea cup, looking intently at Gabriel. “Listen, the reason I wanted to talk to you wasn’t to make you accept me. I don’t care if you accept me. I am who I am. I wanted to talk to you because Ori is one of my best friends. I don’t want your hatred of me to ruin your relationship with her. She really likes you.”

Gabriel turned away from the intensity of her lavender gaze. He didn’t understand her. He didn’t understand why anyone would want to live that way, but… But he didn’t have to understand. She was useful. “I don’t hate you,” he said quietly.

“Pardon me?” She hadn’t quite heard him.

“I don’t hate you, Sera,” he said louder, facing her. “I wanted to, because I wanted to blame someone for what Lorcas did. I was angry. I kept thinking if I’d known, I could have been more careful or something. But I don’t think it would have made a difference.” He sighed. “Did he tell you that was my first kiss?” 

“Your first-” Her eyes flashed with anger. “Oh, that jerk! I’m going to punch him in the balls the next time I see him!” She smacked her closed fist into her palm.

Gabriel’s mouth twitched up in a little smile. “He deserves it. I’m sorry I was acting so stupid, Sera.”

The lavender haired girl calmed a bit, lowering her hands beneath the table. “Are you really okay with all this?”

“With Lorcas? No. With you?” He shrugged. “I’ll adjust. You’re still Sera. But…”

“But?”

“Can we not tell anyone else Lorcas kissed me? Especially not Ori.”

Sera crossed her heart. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks,” he said, relieved. “Come on, you’d better help me eat this cake, or I’m going to be here all night.” 

“Well, if you insist. I’ll get a couple more forks, but why don’t you peek outside and see if Ori’s still here. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Gabriel smiled at Sera. He got up and checked outside the shop, and sure enough, there was Ori, leaning against a market stall, looking worried. 

“Gabe! Are you… Are you mad at me?” she asked, springing over.

“I don’t like when people lie to me,” he said, “but I’m not mad at you. How about we finish off this date properly. Will you come inside and eat a ridiculous amount of cake with me?”

Her eyes lit up and her dimples deepened. “Yes,” she cried. They both stepped back into the shop. The three of them spent the rest of the evening eating cake, drinking tea, and talking. 

It wasn’t terrible, as far as first dates go.

***

At the end of the night, Gabriel flew back with both Sera and Ori. He walked them back to the entrance to the advanced class dormitories, lightly kissed Ori goodnight, then flew down to the room he shared with Barach and Erem. 

When he arrived at the room, he stopped outside the door and looked down. There was a steel bucket with a note inside, written in Erem’s smooth writing. 

  


_If you’re sorry,_  
_fill this bucket_  
_with water from_  
_the waterfall_  
_and carry it back_  
_balanced on your head._

_____ _

  


____

Gabriel crumpled the note and dropped it on the floor. He glared at the bucket, then picked it up and carried it back down the hall, out toward the fissure between the two sides of the academy. He followed the walking path around toward the section that curved behind the waterfall. 

____

He stopped, looking around, making sure no one was there to see him. Carefully, he leaned out over the wet stone balcony, reaching toward the thundering water that plummeted from the edge high above.

____

The force of the water almost took the bucket from Gabriel’s hand. He had to pull back, only collecting at the edge of spray, letting the water fill it slowly. He kept his wings spread, keeping his balance so he wouldn’t slip over the wet stone and plummet into the pool. He was getting nervous. The bucket seemed like it was taking a lot longer to fill up than it was supposed to. Any moment, a member of the staff could walk by, and then he’d be in a whole lot of trouble.

____

Finally, the bucket was full. Gabriel pulled it back, muscles straining. The water was heavy. He got it on top of his head, and found it was actually easier to carry it that way. He’d gone about five steps before he realized why the bucket took longer to fill. 

____

There was a hole in the bottom of it. The cold water from the waterfall trickled out, seeping into his silver hair and running down his spine, saturating his clothes. He cringed, and started walking back.

____

A couple of the students he passed gave him strange looks, but he did his best to ignore them. He got back to the room as quickly as he could, keeping the bucket balance on his head, though he left a wet trail behind him. 

____

He stood outside the door and knocked, some of the water dripping down his face now. His hair was soaked. Erem opened the door, looked at him, then looked at the bucket. Gabriel asked, “Can I come in now?”

____

Erem opened the door wider, then pointed to the pit. They had cleared all the pillows out of it, so it was just an empty, recessed, stone hollow in the floor. They wanted him to stand there. He walked over, stepping down and turned to face them. Erem took a sheet of parchment from Barach, who was sitting on the bed, watching Gabriel with a callous expression. 

____

“Stand there and read this aloud,” Erem said, walking over and handing the parchment to Gabriel. 

____

He took it, recognizing it as the note he had written earlier. Gabriel sighed, suppressing a chill as cold water dripped down his neck and chest, soaking him slowly. 

____

“If I do, will you both forgive me?” he asked.

____

Darkly, Barach said, “We’ll see.”

____

Gabriel gritted his teeth, then he stood up straight and started to read. “Dear Erem and Barach-”

____

“Wait!” Erem exclaimed. Gabriel stopped. He watched as Erem hurried back to his bed, sitting beside Barach and opening the bundle of honey bread and sesame snaps. He broke off a piece and put it in his mouth. “Okay, now you can start.”

____

Gabriel unclenched his jaw, glaring at his friends, then resumed reading again. “Dear Erem and Barach, I was an asshole. I was angry and tired, but that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have said what I did to you, and I’m sorry.” 

____

Water dripped from the end of his nose, splattering against the paper. Some of the ink started to bleed. He tried shaking it off, but he just made it worse. The water sloshed in the bucket, which was nearly half empty, and he had to rebalance to keep it from falling off and dousing him all at once.

____

Holding the page out further to prevent it from getting wetter, Gabriel continued reading. “Erem, you have been my best friend since we were five years old. You’ve always been by my side, and sometimes, I know I take you for granted. You deserve a better friend than me, but you make me smile and laugh, and I don’t know what I would do without you around.” He swallowed. How could he have written something so sappy? His throat felt tight as he tried to suppress the emotion that was starting to come out in his voice. “You’ll be my friend forever, Erem,” he said, “no matter who I date or what I do, long after everyone else is gone, you will still be my best friend.”

____

Gabriel glanced up briefly to see Erem wasn’t eating. The blue-skinned boy’s eyes were shiny, brimming with tears as he watched Gabriel. Quickly, Gabriel looked back down to the page. He wouldn’t cry during this. He refused. It hadn’t been this hard to write the stupid note. Why was it so difficult saying it?

____

“Barach, I deserved being punched this morning. I usually do. You are always quick to correct me when I get too far out of line, and I hate to admit it, but you’re usually right. I’m sorry I was so terrible to you both, not just this morning, but always. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me, because you’re my friends, and you’re the only people I trust not to lie to me.” He’d written that part because he had still been upset about Sera, but he didn’t feel that way about her anymore. Talking to her had helped a lot. 

____

Gabriel lowered the paper. He knew how the rest of note went. He looked at his two friends on the bed as cold water continued to drip through his hair and down his body. “I’m sorry. I’m an asshole, but I need you both as my friends. Please forgive me. Signed, your idiot friend, Gabe.” 

____

Erem and Barach shared a look. Gabriel felt nervous. Why weren’t they saying anything? The thought that maybe they would refuse, that maybe he had really gone too far, came to him. His wings fluttered against his back, betraying his anxiety. “Guys?” he said quietly.

____

Barach stood. He walked over to Gabriel, looming over him. He reached out, and for a second, Gabriel though he was going to hit him again. He braced for the impact, but instead, he felt the bucket lift from his head. Barach flipped it upside down, pouring the water out over Gabriel’s head all at once, making him gasp from the sudden shock of it. 

____

“There,” said Barach. “Now I forgive you.”

____

Gabriel had just managed to push his silver hair back from his eyes when Erem collided with him, hugging him tight. “You’re such an ass, Gabe! Don’t hide stuff from me!” Erem didn’t seem to care that he was getting wet, too.

____

Patting his friend’s shoulder, he said, “I know. I’m sorry. You guys never hide anything from me, I should trust you the same way. I’ll try to do better.” 

____

“Come on, Gabe, get changed into dry clothes, then help us eat this honey bread,” said Barach, giving him a small smile. Erem stepped back from him, smiling, too. 

____

Gabriel finally allowed himself to shiver, shaking some of the cold water from his skin. “Dry clothes sound good, but the snack is all yours. If I eat another sweet tonight, I’m going to throw up.” 

____

Relieved to be forgiven, Gabriel changed, then spent the rest of the evening hanging out with his friends while they enjoyed the food in the bundle.

____


	58. Remiel: 17th Degree of Blight, 594 DE

“No, that answer is wrong,” said Remiel. “Ten more star jumps.” 

“Oh, come on!” Uzzi exclaimed. 

“That’s the game, Uz.”

“Alex hasn’t had to do any!” the boy complained. 

“Well, he hasn’t gotten any answers wrong, either,” Remiel shot back.

Uzzi groaned and got up. He backed into the open area behind the table and started doing the jumps, leaping into the air and touching his hands to his toes with each spring. He counted under his breath and when he hit ten, he came back over and sat down.

Next week, the boys had a test on the War with the Jinn. Remiel was helping them prepare. If it had been just Alex, he wouldn’t have introduced the star jumps as part of the review, but Uzzi couldn’t sit still on a good day. The jumps were more to help him relieve some of his energy than to punish him for not getting an answer right. 

“Alright, next question,” said Remiel. “In the summer of four-thirty-nine, which battle changed the direction of the war? Alexiel?”

“It was… Loamstone Valley. Under the generals Micha’iel and Seraphiel.” 

“That’s right. Though, it’s just pronounced General Michael. He’s the heir to the commander of the army, the Isten Tennin.”

“Oh,” said Alex. He’d been told that before, but for some reason the boy insisted on trying to fit the full formality into the war general’s name. 

“Doesn’t that count as wrong?” asked Uzzi. “Shouldn’t Alex have to do jumps, too?”

“No, it’s-”

“I don’t mind,” Alex said, already getting up. “It’s only fair.”

He watched Alex do a few jumps, and though he wasn’t able to jump as high as Uzzi, he didn’t have much trouble. “Alright,” Remiel said, while Alex was still jumping. “Uzzi, this question is yours. Under the generals’ orders, the troops were able to drive the Jinn from Loamstone Valley. Why did this change the war?”

“Because they…” Uzzi tapped his middle finger on the table repeatedly. “Oh, shit, I don’t know.” He got up unprompted and started doing star jumps with Alex. 

“Watch your language, Uzzi,” said Remiel. “Alexiel, do you remember?” 

The black-haired boy waited until he was done with his jumps. He pushed his hair back from his face. Remiel should have braided it for him this morning. “Uzzi knows.”

Uzzi finished his last jump, then stood beside Alex, looking down at him. “I don’t. That’s what I just said.”

“Loamstone Valley was where the digging fiends were,” said the smaller boy.

“Oh yeah!” Uzzi exclaimed. He turned to Remiel. “The fiends had tunneled through the soft dirt into E’din, creating passageways for the Jinn to invade without passing over the land. General Seraphiel took half the troops underground, driving the fiends from the earth while General Michael attacked from above. They slaughtered the digging fiends and Jinn until their blood soaked into the ground, then collapsed the tunnels and extended the barrier to the new watchtower they built on the northern edge of the valley.”

Remiel blinked. “That’s… That’s right.” The blood was a slightly excessive touch, but otherwise, the fiery, high-energy boy was exactly right.

Uzzi grinned. “I can remember the fiends. They’re interesting.” He sat back down, and Alex sat beside him. “I wish that’s what the test was about. Instead it’s all these stupid dates and names of generals. It’s so boring. How can they take something as interesting as the War with the Jinn and make it so boring?”

“I don’t mind the dates,” said Alex. “They’re just numbers. They’re easy to remember. What I don’t like it when Terran Fuztethiel starts talking about the Isten.” 

That’s what the teacher had been talking about the day Alex got upset and ran away. Fortunately, there hadn’t been any other more incidences like that. Remiel didn’t know why it upset his young charge so much, but he suspected it had something to do with his father. 

“I know these tests can be difficult,” said Remiel, “but they’re important. If you can improve enough on the classwork this year, you can test up into the regular classes.”

“I don’t want to leave the remedial classes,” said Alex.

“We’ve talked about this.”

“I’m not going to do it,” the boy announced. “I won’t answer a single question on the test if that’s what they’re going to do.”

“Alexiel, it not that big of a deal.”

“No. I want to stay. I want to stay with Uzzi.”

Remiel sighed. “The headmaster is going to move you up either way. He thinks you’ve had enough time to adjust to the academy.” 

Alex pouted, looking away stubbornly. “I don’t want to.”

“I know Alexiel, but sometimes things happen we can’t control. If you pass naturally, it’ll show that you’ve improved, that I’ve been able to help you. The headmaster will allow me to stick with you next year. If you don’t… he’s moving you up anyway, but maybe they’ll find you a different tutor.”

“They can’t do that,” said Uzzi. 

“Of course they can.” Remiel pushed his thick brown hair back from his face. He looked at Uzzi. The boy was watching Alex with a furrowed brow, not any happier about being parted from his friend than Alex was. “What if…” said Remiel, an idea coming to him. “What if Uzzi moved up, too?”

Two sets of eyes fixed on Remiel, one set as black as night, the other as bright as a fire. “I can’t move up,” said Uzzi. “I’m too dumb.”

“You’re not dumb,” insisted Remiel. “You just get distracted easy. If I were able to find a way to help you recall the details, you’d test out of the remedial class, no problem.”

“It’s not possible.”

“It might be,” said Remiel. “It’s more possible than Alex staying in the remedial class. If you two want to stay together, maybe that’s what you should focus on.”

The boys turned to look at each other. “I do want to stay with you,” Uzzi said. 

“It wouldn’t be so scary if you were there with me,” Alex agreed. 

With a nervous smile, Uzzi said, “Alright. Let’s try.” He looked at Remiel. “You really think you can help me be smart?”

“I’ve got some ideas,” Remiel said, grinning. “Why don’t you guys take a break and when you come back, we’ll start studying again.

The boys agreed, running out of the room to go play on the curved stairs around the marble statue in the atrium of the Imperial housing. There wasn’t anyone else staying there at the moment, so he wasn’t worried about how loud the boys were as they slid down the banisters and splashed in the fountain at the feet of the winged statue. 

By the time they came back, both boys were hungry from playing and damp from the fountain. Remiel gave them each a big chunk of bread, then had them stand and fan each other with their wings to dry off. That produced nearly as much giggles as when they’d been out playing, as Alex’s hair kept swirling up around his head and into his mouth while he was trying to eat. 

They were mostly dry when they finished their snack, ready to sit back down and go over what Remiel had figured out. Alex smoothed his hair down, tucking it behind his ears. 

“Okay,” said Remiel, “let’s try this again. Same rules as before. Uzzi, in four-thirty-two, what happened in the battle against the scaly fiends in the northeastern border town of Siv?”

“Scaly fiends…” Uzzi muttered, looking down and thinking for a moment. “Oh! I remember!” His head snapped up. “Siv is the town that guards the river leading deeper into E’din. The scaly fiends invaded Siv at night, climbing in through windows and cutting everyone’s heads off while they slept. By the time the alarm went up, over half the town was dead and the place was just swarming with fiends. Like tons, just crawling everywhere. The army knew they had to stop them, otherwise the scaly fiends, which could swim, could use that as a base to continually send more fiends up the river into E’din. They got all the good people out of the city, then Wing Commander Raziel ordered them to surround it and burn it to the ground, killing all the fiends at once.” Uzzi grinned.

Eyebrows raised, Remiel said, “That’s right. Can you remember what year that was? I just told you.”

Uzzi paused, thinking hard. “Four… thirty-two?” 

“Good job.” Remiel smiled at Uzzi. 

Alex frowned a bit. “How did they get all the good people out?”

“Hm?” asked Remiel, turning his attention to Alex.

“I mean, how were they sure? The fiends were everywhere. The army couldn’t have gone in and checked every house, and when people are scared, they hide. How did they know everyone was out safe?”

Remiel wasn’t sure how to answer that. He’d never thought about it before, and it wasn’t something covered in the books. Just dates, the accolades of revered soldiers, and minimal description of the evil fiends they fought. “They probably had people who could check from a distance,” he said, coming up with the first logical explanation he could think of. “There are certain Terran able to scan and sense things from far away, like trackers. They could probably tell when they’d found all the good Terran and Homm.” 

Alex didn’t quite look like he accepted that answer, but he didn’t say any more. 

Remiel continued with the review, adding in details about the fiends involved with each question. Uzzi was performing surprisingly well by the time they were done for the day. He answered nearly as many right as Alex. Plus, once he started realizing he knew the information, he began answering faster, with more confidence. With a little more practice, Remiel was certain both boys would score well on the test. That was, as long as Fuztethiel was open to some of the suggestions Remiel had about the format Uzzi took it in.


	59. Alex: 22nd Degree of Blight, 594 DE

The rest of the class was dismissed at the end of the day, once the test was over. Alex remained, not because he had to, but because Uzzi had asked him to. 

His friend stood at the front of the room, back to Alex so Fuztethiel was certain they couldn’t sign any answers to each other. Uzzi’s wings were puffed behind him because he was nervous. He’d been doing well so far, but Alex could tell he was still apprehensive about answering. 

Fuztethiel finished writing the note about Uzzi’s last response on the parchment on his desk, then pushed his glasses up and said, “What year did the battle of Caimpha occur?” He squinted at something written on the parchments and added, “With the stone throwers and the fire hounds.”

Uzzi’s wings gave an excited flutter, and he said, “At the end of four-thirty-five, but it continued into four-thirty-six due to a snow storm that almost prevented the ground reinforcements from making it through the mountain pass. Once the soldiers on the other side knew the reinforcements were coming, but stuck, the squadrons fighting the fiends drove them into the snow covered mountains, so they were flanked on both sides by the army. Between the snow, and the descending reinforcements, the battle was over just after the start of the new year, with the last of the fire hounds running back to the Jinn.”

Nodding along with Uzzi’s words, Fuztethiel scribbled notes on the parchment. “Last question, Uzziel.” The teacher looked up and pushed his glasses back up his nose. “How was the traitorous Isten stopped?”

This was a question Alex hadn’t answered. He’d left it blank on his test paper. He knew, he just didn’t feel like writing it down. He folded his arms on the desk, resting his chin on top of them as he listened to Uzzi’s answer.

For a moment, Uzzi hesitated. There weren’t any fiends in this part. It had occurred all in E’din. Nervously, his fluffy wings opened and closed against his back a couple times, then settled. “The traitor… The Isten Chaitaan… When they discovered he was working with the Jinn and that he was the one organizing the attacks on E’din… They sentenced him to death for treason and banished his heir. His heir was already outside E’din, leading the Jinn in secret, but the Isten had remained, pretending to still be helping the council. The army descended on his estate, and his daughter fought them to allow him time to escape, but he didn’t make it to his heir. At the border of E’din, General Michael fought him and killed him.”

None of the books said how the general had killed the Isten, just that he was dead. That answer was good enough, because Fuztethiel explained that the knowledge of how to kill an Isten was too dangerous to be widely known. The Isten were just too important to E’din. 

“Very good, Uzziel,” said Terran Fuztethiel when he finished making the last notes on the page. “I think it’s safe to say you passed.”

“I did?!” Uzzi exclaimed, jumping up and down. 

The teacher nodded. “With high marks, I might add.” 

Uzzi spun around, whooping and punching at the air. “Yes! Alex, did you hear?! I passed!”

Alex got up and went over to congratulate his friend. He was planning on just offering a fist bump or a high-five, but Uzzi was so excited, he picked Alex up around his waist and spun him around. 

“Yes! Whoo!” Uzzi cheered.

“Put me down, Uzzi!” Alex demanded, swatting at his friend’s shoulder. Uzzi made a couple more spins before he finally listened. Alex glared at him, stepping back and putting a hand on the podium to find his balance again. 

“Sorry, Alex,” said Uzzi, grinning. “I’m just so happy.”

“Go on, boys. I’m sure Remiel is looking forward to the news. He said he’d be waiting at the end of the hall whenever you finished.” Terran Fuztethiel smiled at Uzzi. “You know, if you can keep this up until the end of the year, I think you’ll be able to pass. Next month we start elemental basics, and I think you’ll do well with that. Good job, Uzziel.”

“Thanks, Terran Fuztethiel,” said Uzzi, beaming. He grabbed Alex’s hand and ran with him out of the room, too excited to restrain himself. Alex stumbled along behind him, spreading his wings a couple times to glide in the air behind his friend rather than falling. 

Remiel sat waiting at the end of the hall at the bottom of the stairs. He was touching the gold ring he had recently pierced through his earlobe, twisting it around repeatedly as he stared out into the student filled sky beyond the balcony in the gap. When he heard Uzzi and Alex approach, he lowered his hand and turned around.

Uzzi stopped at the top of the stairs, grinning down. Alex teetered at the edge, nearly losing his balance, but Uzzi’s tight hold on his wrist prevented him from falling. Remiel looked like he would have caught him anyway, but Alex was glad he didn’t have to. 

“I passed,” Uzzi announced.

“That’s great! I knew you could do it!” said Remiel. He looked at Alex. “And you?”

Alex was finally able to twist his wrist out of Uzzi’s hold. He rubbed his skin and held it to his chest as he said, “It was probably good enough.”

“Alexiel…”

“I left one answer blank. The rest are fine.” He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to talk about any of the Isten. He looked around, searching for an excuse to change the subject. “Where’s Sophie? I thought she was coming tonight.”

Remiel stood up and straightened his clothes. “She’s busy.”

“You two didn’t have a fight, did you?” Uzzi asked.

With an exasperated sigh, Remiel said, “No, we didn’t fight. They moved her up into higher level healing classes. She’s going to Marut to study at the hospital in the evenings.”

The round red dots of Uzzi’s eyebrows scrunched together. “It’s the middle of the year. Why would they start her on something new?”

“Because your sister is just that talented. She tested out of the curriculum in the academy, and they want her studying more advanced healing.”

“It’s probably all the practice she got on you,” said Uzzi, looking over at Alex. “You do get hurt a lot.”

That was true. At the beginning of the month, he had been bit by a snake hiding in a crack in a stairwell. The toxin it injected made him pass out almost immediately, and he had fallen the rest of the way down the stairs. He broke his wrist, but Sophie had been there. She’d been walking with Remiel, right behind Alex, and had been able to withdraw most of the venom before it could atrophy the skin and muscle in his ankle. She healed his wrist, and he only had to spend a day in bed, rather than however long it would have taken for him to regrow the muscles in his lower leg and foot.

Alex would rather have Sophie heal him than any of the academy medics. Her touch barely made his skin crawl. “Is she going to be able to come back if I need her?” he asked.

“Of course, Alexiel. She’s only going to be gone an extra night each week,” said Remiel, smiling at him from the bottom of the stairs. “She’ll still be around to help you when you need her.”

“Good.” Alex hopped down the stairs. “I like having her around.”

“Me too,” said Remiel, a wistful expression on his face. 

“Well I don’t,” said Uzzi. “She’s too bossy.”

“Aw, she just acts that way because she cares about you,” Remiel said, teasing Uzzi. “You’re her baby brother after all.”

“Ugh, stop it, Remi. You’re so stupid.” Uzzi was blushing with embarrassment. He stomped down the stairs and kept going down the hall. “I’m hungry,” he griped. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

Remiel grinned at Alex, then they followed Uzzi down to the dining hall.


	60. Barachiel: 11th Degree of Soldiers, 594 DE

For nine days, it rained. Children normally free to cross the open sky remained stuck inside stone halls that continually felt smaller and smaller. A few fights broke out in the common areas on various levels, and for once, it wasn’t Barach’s friends starting them.

Erem liked the rain, and that almost made it worth it, but Barach wasn’t allowed down in the stables during the autumn storms. None of the students were. That was more than enough of a reason for Barach to curse the clouds every time he walked close enough to the open archways to feel the dreary, wet splatter on his face. Erem tried to cheer him up, showing him how helpful the moisture in the air was for making lubricant on command, but even that was only able to killed a couple hours at a time. Plus, it was only an option when Gabriel wasn’t in their shared room.

With everyone stuck indoors, there was absolutely no privacy. Everyone was bored, looking for something, or someone, to do. The lowest level, the abandonded floor students used to make out and fool around, was packed. None of the soggy rooms were empty. Some of the kids had given up and were just using the hallways. With that level of indiscretion, there was no way the instructors would continue to overlook it. 

Barach was right. On the fifth day of rain, the lowest level was raided, the students sent in for processing and to write very apologetic letters to their parents. Fortunately, Barach and Erem hadn’t been among them.

As the days progressed, Barach felt more and more like a caged beast. He paced the halls, looking out, thinking it wouldn’t be so bad to fly in the rain down to the stables. His wings were oiled. The water would roll right off. There was no reason he shouldn’t go. It was a stupid rule. It shouldn’t apply to _him_ , just the Terran. Maybe even just the little kids who had no business being out in the rain in the first place. 

Just when he had convinced himself it was okay to go, he saw a form dart across the edge of the fissure, with white wings and flash of steel. It disappeared into the other side just as fast. If he had blinked, he would have missed it. 

_The guards_. 

Since Alex managed to run away, the headmaster had increased the security presence at the academy. The guards were actual soldiers requisitioned from the army. There had always been a couple in Archridge, but now there were over a dozen, constantly alert for unauthorized activity, which definitely included leaving without permission in a thunderstorm.

Barach scowled. So much for being able to sneak off. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gone so long without doing something physical, like hauling hay, cleaning stalls, or relocating beasts more than twice his size. He needed to do something, or he was going to go crazy. 

After pacing the walkway a couple more times, hoping for a break in the rain, Barach gave up. He stalked back to his room, deciding to blow off some of his excess energy messing around with Erem. 

Erem didn’t mind him like this. He didn’t mind when Barach was too worked up to be careful. He actually seemed to like it more, especially when Barach pinned him down and nipped at his skin before roughly taking him. That was exactly what Barach planned to do, except when he got back to the room, Gabriel was there.

“They canceled study group,” the silver-haired Ahnnak said, flipping a quill between his fingers absentmindedly. “‘Cause of the rain.” He kept reading. 

Scowling, Barach stood there, thinking about taking Erem anyway. Lounging on his bed, his boyfriend raised an eyebrow like he could read his thoughts, and shook his head. 

Rejected.

_Damn it._

Barach walked over and picked up one of the pillows from the pit, then stalked up to Gabriel and smacked him upside the head with it as hard as he could. Gabriel fell off his bench, startled for only a moment, before his eyes narrowed and he snarled. “I’m going to kill you!”

“Bring it,” Barach said, looking forward to the fight.

Gabriel charged him and they fell into the pit, wrestling and fighting until Erem’s yelling broke them apart. 

“What is wrong with you two?!” he said.

“He started it!” Gabriel yelled, pointing a finger in Barach’s face.

Barach smacked the hand away. “I was helping. I saw a bug on the side of your pretty silver head, and I just had to hit it.”

Gabriel attacked Barach again, and by the time Erem got them separated, Barach was feeling a little better. 

It didn’t last long. 

By the ninth day of being stuck in the stone of the academy, Barach was ready to fight anyone. It was almost a relief when he and Gabriel turned the corner after class to find the Hunt waiting in the foyer by the arch. 

Lorcas stood with three of his lackeys near the open archway as heavy rain poured down behind them. He smirked at Gabriel and winked. “Hey, baby.”

Gabriel’s wings snapped out as tension and anger raced through him. Barach stood at his side, watching Lorcas, looking for the first sign of provocation from any of the Huntsmen. He wanted them to make a move. If one of them so much as took an aggressive step toward Gabriel, Barach would be on them. He didn’t care if they lost again, he _needed_ to fight.

“Lorcas, what do you want?” asked Gabriel.

The Huntsman raised an eyebrow, lips pursed. “What did I say last time?” he asked, his tone infuriatingly condescending. “We’re not friends.”

Gabriel’s lip curled back, revealing his teeth in a silent snarl. “Do you want something, _Lorcasiel,_ or are you just here to fuck up my day?”

“Why can’t it be both?” The Huntsman crossed his arms. 

“So you came here to fight?” asked Gabriel.

“You that eager to lose to me again, baby boy?” replied Lorcasiel. One of the Huntsmen lackeys behind him chuckled. 

“We won’t lose again,” Barach said, his words a rumble in the air like thunder. There were only four of the Hunt here. The last time they fought, there had been six, and though Gabriel might not be able to hold his own yet, Barach could. He had spent the last half a year preparing for exactly this situation. 

Lorcasiel’s grey eyes shifted to Barach. “You’re Barachiel, right? Ahnnak of the Isten Pahaliah?”

Barach narrowed his eyes and stared back at the Huntsman. “Your point?”

There was a contemplative, cruel look in the Huntsman’s expression. “You know, Barachiel, your boyfriend and I were talking about you not too long ago. I meant to ask him some questions about you, but I’m afraid we may have gotten a little off subject.” Lorcas turned back to Gabriel.

The silver-haired boy bristled. “Shut up, Lorcasiel,” he hissed.

“You told him, didn’t you?” 

Barach glanced at Gabriel. “Told me what?”

Gabriel clenched his jaw and looked away. Barach scowled. It had to be about whatever happened with the Huntsman that time Alex ran away. Gabriel had been in a rotten mood for weeks after that, and refused to talk about it. Barach knew Remiel had left Gabriel alone with Lorcas, and could only assume something bad had happened after that, but he had no idea what. Had Lorcasiel hit him again? Stolen another of his feathers? Whatever it was, Barach was going to make him pay.

The Huntsman clicked his tongue in a disapproving manner. “Keeping secrets from your boyfriend… You should be ashamed.”

“If you’re going to hit me, just do it,” said Gabriel. “Don’t make me stand here and listen to your stupid voice.”

With a laugh, Lorcas said, “Calm down, baby. I’m not here to fight. I just came to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“Good, because I’m not here to talk to you. I’m here to talk to him.” The Huntsman grinned at Barach. “I want you to join the Hunt.”

_The Hunt_. The most prestigious game across all E’din, filled with fame and renown across the territory.

“Fuck no,” Barach stated.

“You didn’t even listen to my proposition.” Lorcas didn’t look too bothered by Barach’s outright refusal. He took a couple steps toward them. Though there was no aggression in his move, Barach stepped up to meet him. He was just as tall as the Huntsman now.

“Back off,” Barach said, keeping Gabriel behind him.

Appearing delighted, Lorcas grinned and said, “Protective little shit, aren’t you?” His grey eyes seemed to take in every detail about Barach, like he was sizing him up, calculating his abilities, and deciding the Ahnnak would have no chance of winning against him. 

His expression annoyed Barach. “I won’t join your Hunt, and I won’t let you touch Gabe.”

“You think you can stop us? There are dozens of us, and a lot of my boys still hold a grudge about him breaking Dien’s arm last year. It is only a matter of time before you leave him alone and they find him.” Lorcas met Barach’s dark eyes, moving forward until there was barely any space between them. “You can’t protect him forever, Barachiel, but I can.”

Barach’s brow creased briefly, a quick flash of confusion. “What do you mean?”

Gabriel came forward, touching Barach’s arm. “Stop. Don’t listen to him. Let’s go,” he begged.

Raising a wing, Barach cut his friend off and pushed him back behind him again. Gabriel stayed there, despite the irritation radiating off him.

“What I mean, Barachiel, is that if you join the Hunt, there are certain protections I can extend to those you care about. An order from me, and no one touches Gabe again.”

“And if I refuse you?” 

“Well, maybe we see how many bones he breaks before you change your mind.” The threat was clear. Join the Hunt, or they were going to keep attacking Gabriel, probably with increasing frequency.

Barach glanced back at his friend, noting his tension. “Do you need a decision now?” he asked the Huntsman.

“Barach, you can’t be serious!” Gabriel exclaimed. Barach turned away from him. 

Smirking, Lorcas said, “Preparations for the Winter Hunt begin on the first. You give me your answer then. You know where to find me.” He stepped back far enough to see Gabriel behind Barach. “See you around, baby.”

“Fuck off,” Gabriel snapped. 

Laughing, Lorcas left with his three Huntsmen. They flew out into the rain, up to the enclave of the Hunt near the top of the academy. Barach watched them go until Gabriel shoved him, pushing hard at his back right between his wings. 

“Don’t even think about joining them!” he yelled.

Barach turned and looked at him. _Gabe_. His friend. A complete idiot, practically helpless, with a mouth that got him in endless trouble. “You don’t get to make my decisions for me.”

“He’s blackmailing you! You can’t give in!” 

“I’m not. We have until the first to figure something out.” Nineteen days to come up with a plan that didn’t involve joining the Hunt or Gabriel being attacked constantly. Barach turned and started walking toward their room. Gabriel fell in step beside him, though he remained morose for the rest of the afternoon.

Barach didn’t care. After dinner, the sky cleared. He left Gabriel moping and flew down to the stables. They’d come up with a plan another day.


	61. Alex: 14th Degree of Soldiers, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uzzi tries to help Alex summon fire during class.

“Just focus, Alex, it’s not that hard,” said Uzzi. 

“I’m trying,” he said, his voice strained. Alex still had his eyes closed. He was doing everything the teacher had told them to do. Hand outstretched toward the glass beaker of water, focus on sending heat out, tap into the core of energy within. He tried to do all of it. The only problem was, when he attempted to find the warm core of energy within him to channel the fire, all he found was emptiness. There was no warmth inside him, just a cold, black void.

Alex put his hand down and opened his eyes, feeling frustrated. “I can’t do it.”

Uzzi patted his shoulder. “Keep trying. You’ll get there.” Uzzi’s own glass was filled with boiling water. He causally waved his hand beside it, continuously coaxing large bubbles to the surface. Steam rose from the top of the container.

Glancing around, Alex realized almost all the kids in the class had some sort of movement in their glasses. Some were no more than a couple lone bubbles rising every few seconds, but they still had something.

Fuztethiel came over to check on them. He touched Alex’s glass, a frown on his face. “It’s still cold, Alexiel.”

Squeezing his wings against his back, Alex looked down. Uzzi said, “He’s trying, Terran.”

“See if you can help him. I know it comes easy to you, Uzzi, but see if you can explain how you do it.” The Terran gave one last disappointed look at Alex, then continued on.

“Come on, New Moon, try it again.” Uzzi scooted closer to him on the bench. “I’ll help this time.”

“How?”

“Just trust me.”

Alex held his hand out toward the glass again. He closed his eyes. He inhaled as much as he could, then exhaled slowly, trying to draw heat from within to send out to the water. 

Nothing.

“Relax,” said Uzzi. “Touch the glass. It’ll help you focus.” Alex did. “Now just do what I tell you. Breathe in. And out. Breathe in, and hold it. You feel that area beneath your heart? The one that vibrates with every heartbeat?”

“My stomach?” asked Alex, peeking open one eye to look at his friend.

“Not your stomach,” laughed Uzzi. “Hey, keep your eyes shut.” Alex closed his eyes again. “Alright, no, it’s not your stomach. It’s not actually there at all, but it feels like it. Right here.” 

Alex startled as Uzzi’s palm pressed against his lower chest. Both eyes shot open and he jerked back. “Inferno!”

“Sorry, New Moon. I didn’t mean to surprise you. Let’s do it again. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do before I do it.”

“Do you have to touch me?” he demanded.

“I’m just trying to help. I don’t know how else to do it, but I don’t want Fuzzi to come back over and yell at you again.”

Alex frowned, looking at his friend. “Fine,” he said reluctantly. “But warn me first.” He touched his glass again and closed his eyes.

“Okay, I’m going to touch your chest, right beneath your heart. That’s where you should be able to feel the energy fill you when you focus.” Uzzi’s palm pressed back against his lower chest. His hand was warm, heat radiating into Alex through his thin shirt. There was more heat in Uzzi’s hand than anything inside Alex, but he thought he felt something stir in that cold emptiness.

“Do you feel that?” Uzzi asked. Brow furrowed, Alex nodded. It wasn’t much, but there was something there. “Okay, now focus on that and draw it up through your arm. Follow my fingers with the energy.” Uzzi drew his fingers slowly up Alex’s chest to his shoulder. Alex tried to focus on the motion, rather than the touch, but his wings started trembling.

“Go down through your arm. Slow, easy. Don’t try to rush. Hold your focus.” Uzzi was whispering as his hand slowly pressed down Alex’s arm. When his fingers touched his bare skin below his elbow, the direct contact was too much to handle. 

Whatever energy Alex had been able to draw from that darkness shot forward, snapping into the glass. He opened his eyes, pulling his arm back from the glass and away from Uzzi.

Both boys stared at the glass as fine cracks spread across it, chasing black sparks in expanding patterns across the surface. Uzzi said, “That’s not fire,” just a second before the glass burst, water splashing all over the table. Uzzi jumped up, pulling Alex with him, but he couldn’t stop watching the water spread. 

The glass was disappearing, like it was melting in the water. By the time Fuztethiel came over, the glass was completely gone. “Uzziel! Alexiel!” He frowned down at the table. “Look at this mess. You spilled water everywhere. Where’s the glass?”

“It… It disappeared,” said Uzzi. 

“Where is it?” the teacher repeated, insistent. He searched under the table, but didn’t find anything. “Show me your hands, boys.” They both held out their hands to him, palms up. Fuztethiel frowned. “Did you break it?”

“I told you, it disappeared,” Uzzi said. “It’s in the water.”

The teacher slid his fingers through the water, but found nothing. He didn’t look happy. “Uzziel, if you broke it, just tell me. There’s no point trying to hide it. I’m not letting either of you leave this classroom until I found out exactly what happened.”

“I did it,” Alex whispered.

“You did what, Alexiel? Broke the glass?”

He nodded, lowering his eyes. 

“He didn’t break the glass,” Uzzi declared. “He was touching it, and it disappeared. It melted.”

Fuztethiel sighed heavily. “I don’t know why you boys insist on lying to me. Do you know what temperature it would take to melt glass? This water is still cold.” 

“But that’s what happened,” said Uzzi. 

For a while, Fuztethiel observed them with a frown. “I want you both to clean up this mess, then you’re going to sit in the corner for the rest of class.”

“That’s not fair!” Uzzi exclaimed. “Why won’t you listen?!”

“Uzziel, if you insist on lying more, I’m going to send you to the office. Understand?” 

“I’m not lying,” Uzzi grumbled, but he said it low, under his breath, staring down at the floor.

“Go get a towel from the hall station,” said the teacher. “If one of you wants to tell me the truth, I’ll listen, but until then, I expect you to be silent. The rest of the class is trying to learn.”

Alex followed Uzzi as he trudged out of the room. They walked down the stone hall to a cabinet stocked with shared supplies for the classrooms in that section. Uzzi picked up two thin towels and closed the door. 

“Alex… what did you do?” he asked, not quite looking at him.

“I don’t know. It was an accident.” He didn’t know what it was. He didn’t know how to control it either. That black spark, that darkness within him that dissolved everything it touched… How could he have brought that forward?

“It wasn’t fire,” said Uzzi. “Was it ice? Did you freeze the glass then… then melt it?”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

Uzzi handed him one of the towels. “Fuzzi isn’t going to let us leave until we can tell him what happened.”

“You already told him what happened. He didn’t believe you.”

“Then we need to tell him something he’ll believe. I just… I don’t know what.” Uzzi shrugged and walked back to the room. “I’ll come up with something before the end of the day, just go along with it when I do.”

“Okay,” Alex whispered, following behind his friend. They went in and cleaned up the spilled water. When they were done, Fuztethiel placed Uzzi in one of the back corners, sitting on the floor with his nose against the wall, and put Alex in the other corner, on the stool normally reserved for misbehaving children. 

Closing his eyes, Alex pressed his head against the wall, blocking everything out around him. He turned his attention in, searching for the energy like he’d been taught, but instead of searching for the heat of fire, he looked for the emptiness. 

The void.

It stretched withing him, jagged and sharp, spreading through his body like empty veins. Hollow, like the poison Jequn made him drink.

Thoughts of Jequn made Alex tremble, and it resonated through him to his core. The void vibrated, black and sparking, and Alex realized it wasn’t empty. It was filled with fear and terror, corrupting everything it touched. The black energy wanted to leave him, wanted to destroy everything around him, wanted to consume until there was nothing left, no one left to hurt him ever again, and it would feel so good to just let go-

“Alexiel? Are you okay?” It was Remiel. He touched Alex’s shoulder, and the small boy jerked back. 

“Don’t touch me!” Alex yelled, black eyes wide and wild. He stumbled off the stool, leaning back against the wall as his heartbeat shook his whole body. Why was Remiel here? Where were all the other students? It was like he had closed his eyes for a second and hours passed.

“Alexiel, I’m here with you. No one is going to hurt you.” Remiel spoke in calming tones, in the voice he used when Alex was scared.

Alex was scared, but for the first time in his life, he was scared of himself. He was scared of what lay within him, threatening to break free. He swore to himself he would never use that power, never go looking for it again. He would keep that darkness locked away, and maybe one day it would disappear.

He blinked up at Remiel with eyes that shifted in the light of the classroom, black prismatic swirls caused by the thick poison that laced his system even a year after he had last taken a dose. “I’m fine, Remi,” he said, willing himself to be calm.

His tutor smiled at him briefly. “You called me ‘Remi.’”

“Sorry, I-”

“I like it, Alex. Come on, let’s go talk to Fuztethiel and see if we can get you out of trouble.” Remiel motioned for him to come over, but didn’t make any effort to touch him. They walked up to the front of the room where Uzzi was already speaking with the teacher. Fuztethiel looked displeased, but he was nodding along with Uzzi’s words.

“-So don’t blame Alex. It’s not his fault,” finished Uzzi.

“Well, I’m very disappointed in you, Uzziel, but you did the right thing telling me the truth.”

“Are you going to send me to the office?” asked the fiery boy.

“No. Not this time, but you’re not escaping discipline. You did lie to me. You both lied to me,” he said, turning to Alex as the boy approached with Remiel. “I can’t let you get away with that. Five lashes across your palms should be sufficient to help you remember.”

Remiel froze, grabbing Alex’s arm and pushing him back beneath his wing. He reached out and grabbed Uzzi, too, dragging him away from the teacher. “Excuse me? You are not hitting these boys for lying.”

The teacher’s brow furrowed. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. “It will help them remember their actions have consequences. Breaking a glass, lying about it, and then throwing the shards away in the hall to avoid getting in trouble? It’s reasonable to send them both to the office for punishment. The rules state a teacher may discipline a student in class with up to twenty lashes across the palm or knuckle. I feel like I’m being reasonable here, only setting five.”

“Reasonable?! Listen, Terran, I am not letting you hit either of these children.” Remiel stuffed Uzzi back beneath his other wing. He held them both to his sides, pressed against him by the heavy weight of his feathers. “They may be brats sometimes, but they’re kids. They didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Terran Remiel, you have no business-”

“Oh, don’t you dare!” Remiel snapped, raising a finger and pointing it at Fuztethiel. “You are only eight years older than me, Fuzzi. You’re stuck here because you couldn’t afford to apply for the instructor certification, that’s why you’re just a teacher. You have no authority to hurt these kids, and I swear if you even think of laying a hand, or a switch, or anything else on either one of them again, I am going to go right to Headmaster Iscriel and demand your removal from the academy. Do you understand me? Now, I don’t care what they did, but we are leaving, and if I hear one words about this again, I swear I will report you so fast, you’ll hit the dirt on your ass before you remember you can fly.”

Fuztethiel gaped, glasses slipping down his nose. He just stared as Remiel gathered Alex and Uzzi from under his wings and marched from the room with them in tow. They were down the stairs and around the corner before Remiel released the two boys. “I can’t believe that man,” he said with disdain.

Alex rubbed his wrist where Remiel’s rings had left indents in his skin. He looked up at his tutor as he shoved his hands through his thick brown hair. 

Uzzi bit his lip, staring up at Remiel with something close to awe. “That was… That was so cool.”

“Stop it,” Remiel said, shaking his head. “It wasn’t cool.”

“I’ve never seen Fuzzi look so stunned.”

“Well, he shouldn’t have threatened to hit either of you.”

“It was only five. I’ve had worse.” 

“It doesn’t mean it’s okay.” Remiel started walking. Both boys stayed near him as they moved down the hall. 

“I mean, I get why you defended Alex,” said Uzzi. “But why me too? I’d already told Fuzzi I broke the glass. I figured I’d get some sort of punishment.”

“You’re practically family, Uz. I couldn’t let him do that. Besides, did you break it?” asked Remiel.

“No… But he wouldn’t listen to what really happened.”

“Then you didn’t deserve it. You’d already sat in the corner the whole class. That’s more than enough. Sometimes, I swear, these teachers get it into their heads that there’s only one way to correct a child.” Remiel exhaled heavily. “So, what did you do?”

“I did it,” Alex said.

“I think he turned the glass into water,” said Uzzi. “It was just gone.”

“That’s impossible. You can’t convert glass to water.”

Alex squeezed his wings against his back. “It wasn’t that, but… it dissolved. Like my brother’s shirt.”

Remiel paused, looking down at him. “It happened again?”

“It happened before?” Uzzi exclaimed, before Alex could answer. “So you know what you did?”

“No. I can’t control it.”

“Maybe it’s something you got from your dad. Isten can do all sorts of amazing things.”

Alex looked away from his friend. That definitely wasn’t it. 

“Whatever it is, you need to be careful,” said Remiel. “If you want, we can talk to Gabriel. Maybe he’ll have some ideas.”

“Maybe, but… I don’t want to bother him. He’s been really busy lately.”

“You know he doesn’t mind when you come see him.” Remiel ruffled Alex’s hair. “We could go tonight, for dinner.”

Alex shook his head. He wouldn’t know what to say to his brother about this. He doubted Gabriel would know how to help anyway, and if he got upset, well… Alex didn’t think he could handle being yelled at by him again. “I want to have dinner with Uzzi and Sophie tonight. Maybe next time, I’ll talk to him.”

With understanding that probably wouldn’t happen, Remiel agreed, “Maybe next time,” and they continued on.


	62. Barachiel: 1st Degree of Descendants, 594 DE

The first day of winter arrived with a snap of cold almost as chilling as the look Gabriel gave Barach when he told him he was joining the Hunt. Gabriel was livid, but they’d had half a month to come up with an alternative. They were no closer to a solution now than when Lorcas made the offer, and they’d run out of time.

At the end of the day, when Barach normally got up and walked out of his last class, he stayed at his desk. His instructor paused a moment, catching his eye, but then shrugged and continued. She had begrudgingly gotten used to him leaving her class in the middle of her lessons, because he hadn’t given her much other choice. Iscriel wouldn’t reprimand him for something as minuscule as that, so Barach always left with enough time to get to Gabriel’s class on the other side of the academy before it dismissed. 

He wouldn’t need to do that anymore, if Lorcas kept his word. 

Erem lingered at his side when class let out, walking through the hall with him to the foyer.

“You’re really going to go through with this?” the blue-skinned boy asked. 

“I have to.”

“Do you want me to come watch?”

“No. Stay away. It’s bad enough they can use Gabriel against me, I don’t want them to use you, too. I don’t know when it’s going to be over tonight. If you and Gabriel eat-”

“I’ll wait for you,” he replied.

“You will?” asked Barach.

“Yeah. I’ll wait until you’re back, and eat with you. Gabe won’t care. Well, I mean, he’ll care, but not about me. He’d just ditch me for his stupid study group after anyways, so I might as well eat with you.” Erem said all this without looking at Barach as they walked down the hallway, trying to make the conversation appear as casual as possible, even when he said, “Besides, I’m worried about you.”

“You don’t need to worry about me, Erem.”

“It’s the Hunt, Barach. They beat you before.”

“Once. It won’t happen again.”

Erem paused at the open arch in the foyer, turning to face Barach. “Still, I’ll wait. Be careful.” 

Barach wanted to give him some reassurance that he would be, but Erem was right. It was the Hunt, and Barach really didn’t know what to expect. Since he couldn’t offer reassurance, he wanted to at least give Erem a kiss, but there were too many people around for that. Instead, he just smiled and backed toward the arch. “I’ll see you at dinner, Erem.” He walked off the edge and dropped, spinning around and catching himself on his wings before he’d done more than fall a few levels.

The enclave where the Huntsmen trained lay on the west side of the top three levels of the academy. The main entrance was on the lowest of the levels, but within, the enclave opened up into a large cavern that included a domed skylight above. It was a very well kept facility, complete with showers, a training arena, a sparring pit, and a luxury box for visitors to observe the daily practices. 

Barach had only been there once before, during a class trip in third year, but it still seemed just as impressive now as it was then.

“Rookies, to the right,” a lean boy yelled as Barach walked in. 

“I’m here to see Lorcasiel,” Barach informed him.

“Yeah, I’m sure you are. You’ll see him in time. Go on rookie, start stretching. You’re going to need all the help you can get if you’re passing the trials.”

“Trials?” he repeated.

The lean boy blinked at him a couple times. “What, you think you can walk in and say the captain’s name and you’re automatically on the team?” He scoffed. “Go line up before I kick your pompous ass out of here.” 

Annoyed, Barach followed the right path around to a small group of students, all of them standing around nervously. Over half of them were Homm boys. When Barach stood at the edge of the group, arms crossed over his chest, one of the Homm walked up to him. 

“Hey, I’m Ku-Vox, but all my friends just call me Vox.” He offered his hand.

“I’m not your friend.” Barach stared at the hand until the Homm retracted it.

“Well, okay, yeah. You’re probably right, we’re rivals, but man, this is cool, you know? Getting to try out for the winter Hunt. Have you done this before?”

“No.” Barach wondered what part of his posture gave the Homm the idea it was okay to talk to him. 

“Ah, first time, too? You must be nervous. I’m nervous, but I was recruited by Ducaniel.” He stared at Barach with a grin, like he expected some form of reaction from that name. When none came, he continued. “Ducaniel. You know, Duke? The Air Commander for the core team…? No? Well, he’s the third ranked Huntsman on the team, and when you’re recruited by someone that high in the ranks, you’re practically guaranteed to make it.” 

Barach looked back over his shoulder, ignoring the Homm. More students were arriving, being directed by the lean Terran boy at the entrance. There had to be at least a dozen more coming through. He didn’t know enough about the Hunt to know what was going on, but he could recognize most the members on sight. None of these students were current members.

Vox remained beside Barach, copying his posture. The Homm crossed his arms over his wide chest, his shirt tightening across his flat back. The full linen panel across his back was strange, and looked like it would rip easily if the Homm flexed too far. Barach scoffed at the inefficient style.

“So, who recruited you?” asked Vox, trying to make it sound casual and failing. 

“Lorcasiel,” Barach stated. If blackmail was considered recruitment.

“Lor- The captain!?”

Barach glared at him, his look clearly expressing how he felt about the Homm’s outburst. Vox stared at him with astonishment. It was annoying. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the captain choosing a recruit,” Vox whispered, like he’d been let in on some big secret and didn’t want any of the other students gathering around them to know. “He has the final say on everyone, of course, but he never recruits anyone. How do you know him? Are you friends?”

“Not friends,” stated Barach.

Vox’s brow bunched, highlighting lines already present in his skin. They remained even after his brow relaxed, a sign of his body’s insufficient ability to recover. “Then how?”

Barach looked away from him, focusing on the podium where the lean boy from the entrance stepped up with a skinny winged girl and a burly Homm boy. Barach estimated them to be nineteen or twenty, though the Homm looked older. They probably only had a year or two left of classes at the academy after this one. 

“Afternoon, recruits,” the girl said, stepping up and snapping to attention with a crispness that would have made any soldier proud. “I am Cariel, Vice-Captain of the Wild Hunt. Our captain will be arriving shortly, but in the meantime, I’m looking to make something perfectly clear.” Her eyes scanned the crowd, dark brown and unforgiving. “None of you deserve to be on this team.”

Vox shifted uncomfortably when her gaze passed over him. Barach started back at her, and he noticed her lip twitch up before she moved on. “I don’t care why you’re here or who asked you to come, but I know you’re not good enough. Still, we’ll let you attempt the trials, because maybe, _just maybe_ , some of you will show potential.”

When she stepped back, the lean boy stepped forward. “Compassionate speech as always, Vice-Captain. Welcome, recruits, I’m Ducaniel-”

“Duke!” someone from the right called. A cheer went up, and Barach looked over, seeing a group of faces he recognized as the Hunt. About half of them he had seen at one point or another, watching Gabriel with malicious intent. He scowled at their presence there. Still, there was no sign of Lorcasiel. Where was that Terran?

Duke waved off the Huntsmen cheering his name until they fell silent. “Duke. I’ll answer to it, though I suggest none of you recruits think about calling me something so informal until after you’re part of the team.” His skin had ashen tones under his eyes, like he didn’t get enough sleep, but everything else about him was meticulous, from his short, straight black hair, to his seam pressed clothes. “Not many of you will get that chance, though. There are twenty-seven recruits present today. There are six openings on the team for the season. That means twenty-one of you will fail today. Don’t take it personal. Learn from your mistakes and come back next season.”

The burly Homm stepped forward next. He scowled at everyone for a few seconds before he said, “As ground commander, I am in charge of your first trial. Some of you will fail soon, and you can limp back to your matrons before the first dinner shift even starts. You ready?”

“Psst, Titan, Captain isn’t here yet. Talk more. Tell them your name,” the Vice-Captain said, leaning forward.

“My name? Oh, yeah.” The Homm snorted. “I am Ku-Saith. You can call me that or you can call me Titan, but when I give you an order, you call me Commander. Let’s see… Duke and I will be in charge of your training before the first game, but if we’re honest, all any of you are going to do during this season is fetch drinks and carry equipment for the core team. You are backups to the backups, and if you’re lucky, maybe next season you’ll get to return. _If_ you even get on the team at all.”

Cariel looked toward the entrance of the enclave as Lorcasiel walked in casually, two of his usual Huntsmen at his sides. He walked straight up to the podium while his cronies joined the cluster of Huntsmen off to the side. 

“You’re late,” Cariel grumbled.

Lorcasiel ignored her. “Recruits, I’m sure you’ve been briefed. I’m Lorcasiel, Captain of the Archridge Wild Hunt. I wish you all luck. You’re going to need it. Titan, they’re all yours.”

“To the sparring pit!” Titan barked. 

“Yes, Commander!” a few of the recruits shouted, then followed the Homm across the field. Barach wasn’t one of them. He remained even when Vox tried to get him to follow. The Homm quickly gave up and ran to join the rest of the group before they noticed he wasn’t with them.

Barach stood before the podium until Lorcasiel turned his attention to him. 

“There you are, Barachiel. I was wondering if you’d show up or run away,” said Lorcas, hopping down to the stone floor.

“What is this?” Barach asked, nodding toward the swarm of students. “A trial?”

“You think it’s easy getting into the Hunt?” 

“You told me to come.”

Lorcas smirked. “Listen, Ahnnak, I can’t play favorites. You run the trials like everyone else, and if you don’t screw it up, you’ll join the Hunt, and I’ll keep my end of the deal.”

“And if I fail?”

“I would suggest not failing. Intentional or not, I’ll consider that breaking the deal.”

Cariel, the Vice-Captain, jumped down next to Lorcas. “This is the one you mentioned?” she asked. “He looks big and dumb.”

Barach’s wings puffed. “I am an Ahnnak. You can’t-”

“So am I.” 

Barach stopped. He stared at her. “What?”

“I’m an Ahnnak, too. Seventh generation. So don’t be throwing that shit around like it means something. You look big and you look dumb, and if you want me to see you as something else, you’d better prove it,” she said.

“Seventh generation? You’re practically Terran. How do you know you won’t age and die?” he asked.

Her eyebrows raised. It was probably an intrusive question, but she’d been rude first. “I guess I’ll figure it out if I start to get old or someone stabs me in the heart and I actually die. But even if that does happen, I’ll still be alive longer than you if you don’t get your ass over to the sparring circle and participate in these trials!” 

Lorcasiel grinned. “You heard the vice-captain. Move it.” Barach glared at them both, but he turned and started toward the sparring circle. The captain called after him, “Oh, and Barachiel? Don’t make me look bad. You’re the first recruit I’ve invited, so don’t fuck it up.”

Barach gritted his teeth and kept walking.

***

The first trial was led by Ku-Saith, rather, Titan, a name fitting the strong Homm. He had light brown eyes, almost amber in color, that examined the gathered recruits with as much compassion as they might get from actual dried sap. 

“Who is going first?” Titan asked while scanning the group of twenty-seven students. 

“I will,” said a confident Terran boy, stepping forward. 

“Good. Get in the pit. This is a simple assessment. Hold your ground. You’ll be against an official Huntsman, so don’t worry about holding back.” Titan watched the Terran hop down, gliding to the center of the sparring pit on his wings. “Pon-Pon, do you mind?” he asked.

“On it, Commander,” said a girl, jumping into the ring without the aid of wings, because she didn’t have any. Her body was solid, densely muscled in a way Barach had never seen on a Homm girl before. Any girl, for that matter. She wore a flat piece of leather across her torso, compressing her chest. When she got into position in the ring, she immediately fell back into a fighting stance.

The Terran in the ring laughed. “A girl? You expect me to fight a Homm girl?” he asked Titan. 

“I’m not asking you to fight Pon-Pon,” said Titan. “I told you to hold your ground.”

Looking back at the Homm girl, the Terran scoffed. “Hey, Mama, aren’t you supposed to be out making babies for the farms? You want, I can get you started right- Oh shit!” The Terran didn’t have time to run as Pon-Pon charged, grabbing his arm and yanking him off balance. She grabbed his head and slammed it down onto her knee. 

When she dropped the unconscious Terran, she looked up at Titan and said, “Oops.” She did not look apologetic at all.

“Guess he’s cut. Twenty-six left. Who’s next?” Titan asked. A couple Huntsmen hopped into the ring and hauled the Terran out. They carried him between them, though halfway across the field, one of them dropped him. Even from that distance, Barach could tell it wasn’t completely accidental. 

“I’ll go,” said a voice Barach recognized, only because it had spoken to him incessantly before the trials started. The Homm boy, Ku-Vox, stepped forward, giving a quick bow to Titan before dropping into the sparring pit. He stepped into the ring, bowed to Pon-Pon, and then took a fighting stance to signal he was ready.

Pon-Pon charged again, but she didn’t reach out to grab Vox. He reached out for her, braced for impact, and caught her shoulders. She stopped, for a second, and then his feet started sliding backward, out of the ring. As soon as he lifted one foot to step forward, trying to get better traction, she adjusted, slipping out of his grip to slam her shoulder into his chest. He stumbled out of the ring and fell to the dirt.

Pon-Pon looked up at Titan. She held a thumb up.

“Pass,” Titan declared. “Who’s next?” 

Vox groaned, rubbing his chest. Pon-Pon offered a hand to help him up, and he took it, giving her a shy smile as she pulled him to his feet. He climbed out of the ring as the next Homm jumped in. 

As Barach watched the next few students go, he understood the trial. It wasn’t about fighting Pon-Pon, or avoiding her as some of them tried to do. It was about standing there and taking a hit. The Terran who screamed and jumped to the side at the last second was out, the one who took the hit and bounced off the pit wall passed. A Terran boy who tried to fight Pon-Pon was quickly met with an open-handed slap across the side of his head. He went tumbling out of the ring and was declared out. The skinny Terran boy who stood in place with his eyes shut while trembling all over passed. Pon-Pon ran up to him, grinning, and bumped him with her shoulder. He crumpled like wet silk, but she helped him up, and he got to go sit with the other students.

Before long, it was just Barach remaining. Eleven of the original twenty-seven were out. Fifteen students sat on the side, ready to begin the next trial. Titan waved Barach into the pit. “Just you. Hurry up.”

Barach walked to the edge of the pit, trying to push aside the annoyance of being bossed around by a Homm. Since Titan was one of the Commanders, he might have to get used to it. He jumped down, not opening his wings for the short distance. 

As he stepped into the ring, Lorcasiel called down, “Pon-Pon, full force.”

She looked up at where Lorcasiel stood with Cariel and Duke, watching the first trial from the opposite edge of the pit. “Captain?”

“Don’t hold back,” said Lorcas. “If you can break this one, do it.”

“If,” she huffed, turning her attention back to Barach. “What do you mean ‘if’?” 

There was a shift in her demeanor. It was very clear that everything before was just playing. She ran forward with twice as much speed as before. Pon-Pon could probably break through solid wood doors or snap every bone in a Terran body with one hit. 

Still, she was just a Homm. 

Barach caught her shoulders, halting her immediately. He could feel her straining against his palms, but beneath all that muscle, he could tell how delicate she really was. He leaned into her, stepping forward, and her feet started to slide back. Her eyes widened in surprise, then determination. She pushed against him with all her strength, but it wasn’t enough.

With barely any effort, Barach slid Pon-Pon back across the ring and out of bounds. When both her feet were past the line painted on the stone, he stopped. She stared at him with disbelief as he let go of her and stepped back.

“You’re supposed to take a hit, Ahnnak,” Lorcas called down. 

“You want to hit me, come hit me yourself, Lorcasiel,” he called back up. 

Titan chuckled. “Pass.” 

They went on to the next trial.

***

The next trial was organized by Duke. It was a simple obstacle course, but he made them run it six times. He flew overhead, calling out to people when they stopped or slowed. By the third lap, recruits started to drop out.

Vox jogged beside Barach at one point. “So you’re an Ahnnak?” he asked.

“Yes,” came Barach’s clipped reply.

“What generation?”

“First.”

“No kidding? Damn. No wonder you faced Pon-Pon so easily.”

“It has nothing to do with that,” he said, annoyed that this Homm was keeping pace with him between the obstacles.

From above, Duke shouted, “Hey! If you have breath to talk, you’re not running fast enough!” Barach scowled and sprinted ahead.

Facing Pon-Pon hadn’t been about being Ahnnak, first generation or otherwise. Sure, she was just a Homm, but she was strong. She could have bounced Erem, and even Gabriel, around like toys. Short of intentionally hurting her, stopping her was unlikely. Still, Barach wasn’t about to let some Homm hit him for the sake of a trial. _That_ was about being first generation Ahnnak.

When the obstacle course ended, and everyone was lined up once more, there were five fewer students. 

“Eleven remaining,” said Duke, looking between them. “You have the endurance necessary to keep up in a game. Barely.” He glanced at the skinny Terran boy who was bent in half, dry heaving. He’d been the one who stood trembling before Pon-Pon with his eyes closed. It was amazing he’d made it through. “You all pass. You’re in Vice-Captain Cariel’s hands now.”

The Ahnnak girl stepped forward, snapping her wings out sharply. “Recruits, I will be testing your tracking abilities today. There are twelve of these hidden in the enclave, within the training grounds.” She held up a metal ball. “They’re scented, just like this one. You won’t be disqualified for not being able to find one, but it does hurt your chances. Tracking is a difficult skill, but one we all need.” She tossed the ball to the Homm in front of her. “Sniff it, pass it on. You’ll start when everyone has the scent.”

When the ball came to Barach, he barely needed to touch it before he had the scent. It was that powerful. It was some sort of plant, pungent when cut. He tossed it to Vox. It would be difficult to get the scent off his hands later. 

The Homm brought it up to his nose and inhaled deeply, then coughed. “Whoa.” He passed it on. It quickly made it around the group with similar responses. The skinny Terran boy didn’t sniff it, just passed it on, still bent in half and looking ill. 

When the ball returned to Cariel, she said, “You have fifteen minutes. Go.”

Everyone scattered. Barach delayed until most the others had chosen a direction, then went the other way. The skinny Terran boy was still standing in place, and Barach wondered if he was giving up, then decided he didn’t care. 

Barach jumped into the air and glided across the field to the cavern wall. There were notches in the stone and a knotted rope hanging from the wall, like they used it for climbing practice. He flew about halfway up the wall and grabbed the metal ball waiting in one of the deeper crevices. He flew back with the unpleasant scent and tossed it to Cariel. 

She caught it and dropped it into a sealed pouch at her side. “You knew where it was?” she asked.

“Figured they were scattered, and just looked where others weren’t. It was easy to smell when I got close enough,” said Barach. The Terran boy was still there, and he looked less sick, though only by a little.

A couple Homm returned, each with a ball. Three more Terran found one, but then Cariel called time. Vox and the other three recruits returned empty handed.

“I found one,” Vox grumbled to Barach, “but Oster took it from me.”

Cariel snapped her wings wide. “Not bad, recruits. More than half of you found one. The ones who didn’t were at least close, except you.” She pointed to the skinny Terran boy. “What’s your name recruit?”

“Mikkon,” he said, straightening his spine so he stood taller. He winced. 

“And why didn’t you participate, Mikkon?”

The boy stretched out his wings and groaned. “Sorry, ma’am, I didn’t realize I needed to bring one back.”

“Did you not hear my instructions?” asked Cariel. 

“I did, ma’am, but you said to find them, not bring them back. I found them.”

“You haven’t moved from that spot, recruit.”

“I had to catch my breath. I’m not used to running on the ground. That obstacle course really kicked my ass. Sorry, ma’am.” He bowed to her quickly. “Didn’t mean to swear.” 

“I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t give me a reason not to in the next thirty seconds,” said Cariel, glaring at him.

“Ah, right.” Mikkon straightened back up. He started pointing around the cavern. “Bush, rock, buried under a rock, weapon rack by the long pointy thing-”

“The spear?”

“The spear. Handhold on the climbing wall, rope at the top-”

Barach looked over. Had there been another one above the one he found?

“-Window frame on the visitor box, bush, rock, another rock, overhang by the entrance, and someone’s dirty sock.” 

One of the Huntsmen watching laughed. “That was me,” he said proudly, and his buddies gave him high fives.

Mikkon looked back at Cariel. “That’s all twelve. If you want, I can go get one and bring it back to you.”

Cariel stared at him a moment. “That won’t be necessary, Mikkon.” She turned to Lorcasiel. “They all pass. They’re yours now.”

The skinny Terran boy let out a sigh of relief, then slouched and rubbed his stomach again. Despite the fact that the boy was just Terran, Barach was a little impressed at his abilities. Mikkon wouldn’t be good for much else, though.

Lorcasiel came forward as Cariel backed up. “Recruits, only six of you will be able to join the team this season. The positions are open on the secondary line, which means you’ll be expected to do just as much work as the core team, but you will not be participating in any of the public Hunts this season. Your devotion to this team will be absolute. I will not tolerate anything less. Vice-Captain, pair them off for light sparring. I will walk around and make my final selection.”

Cariel walked through the recruits, pairing them off and sending them to different points around the field to begin sparring. Vox stood near Barach like he hoped they would be paired up, but Cariel sent him to spar one of the other Homm. 

“Odd one,” said Cariel, turning to Lorcas. She was talking about Barach.

The captain turned and pointed at one of the watching Huntsmen. “Wels, come here.” 

A large Terran came forward, walking up to Lorcas. He didn’t look happy. He leaned down so the captain could speak in his ear. If he looked unhappy before, he looked furious when Lorcas was done speaking to him.

“Barachiel, you’re sparring Wels,” said Lorcas. The Huntsman came forward, approaching Barach with a scowl. He stopped before him, nearly a whole head taller than Barach. His wings opened, making him look twice as big as he actually was. 

“I’m going to rip your head off, boy,” the Terran rumbled, his voice a deep tremor in his chest. 

“You can try,” Barach said, slipping into a fighting stance. 

Whereas the rest of the recruits sparred casually, doing more to show off than hurt one another, Wels swung at Barach with full force. When one of his punches connected, Barach felt the hit spread through him. Wels wasn’t kidding. It was like he really was trying to kill him.

Barach focused, losing sight of Lorcasiel walking around the groups, dismissing some and rearranging others. Wels stayed close to Barach, giving him no openings to attack back. Barach kept defending, taking the Terran’s punches only when he had to. 

When Barach saw his first opening, he attacked. Hitting the Terran was like hitting a wall. He found another opening and did it again. The longer the Terran aggressively fought him, the more openings he gave Barach, and before long, Wels was on the defense.

The big Terran was getting sloppy and angry, but Barach had dealt with worse tempers than his. He stayed calm and collected, even as Wels started screaming with every wild swing. It was clear Barach was going to beat him, and everyone watching knew it. 

Like most cornered beasts, the Terran lashed out. Barach stepped back right as he heard the snap of electricity singe the air. A thin whip of lightning arced from Wels’ hand and narrowly missed Barach’s face.

With that bright display, every set of eyes was on them. They were the only ones left sparring, if anyone could call it that. Barach felt a very real sense of danger from Wels, and knew the Terran would hurt him if given the opportunity.

Wels wasn’t going to get the opportunity.

Barach dodged another arc of lightning, controlled by the Terran like a whip. He sidestepped, moving in closer, knowing he could knock the Terran down if he could get in reach. 

Another crack of the electric whip, and Barach jumped, narrowly missing getting it wrapped around his leg. He made it a few more steps further, and he could see the desperation in Wels’ eyes. 

The lightning came at Barach again, but this time, he didn’t dodge. He caught the whip in his fist as the end wrapped around his neck. He looked directly into Wels’ eyes as he flexed, dispersing the electric energy back into the air, as if it had never been conjured. 

Everyone was silent, including Wels, as Barach stepped forward and punched him in the face. “Do you yield?” he asked the Terran on the ground. 

“Never!” Wels replied through a bloody nose. 

“He yields,” said Lorcasiel, watching Barach with obvious curiosity.

“It’s against academy rules to use elements in a fight,” Barach said, like that explained everything.

A couple Huntsmen came over and helped Wels back to the group for treatment. The big Terran looked really upset, and kept glaring back at Barach and Lorcas.

The Captain ignored him, approaching Barach. “But you didn’t use an element, did you?” he asked, speaking softer. 

“My skill with elements is basic, at best,” Barach admitted. He could produce them, but had almost no control after that. “I can, however, um… nullify certain energies.” Lightning, especially, considering that was what Gabriel used to default to when he got angry, back before he’d built up his control.

“Impressive,” said the Captain, one corner of his mouth pulling back in a crooked grin. “My choice for the season is finalized,” he announced loudly, turning to talk to everyone there. “These five recruits,” he motioned to the two Homm and three Terran remaining, Ku-Vox and Mikkon among them, “will be added to the secondary line. This one,” he pointed over his shoulder at Barach, “will be joining the core team.”

There was a second of silence before angry shouts erupted from the Huntsmen.

“You’re starting a rookie?!”

“There isn’t a spot for him!”

“I won’t play with that fucker! He broke my nose!” Barach recognized that one. He had fought him before, though he didn’t understand why the Terran was complaining. Barach’s arm and finger had been broken in the same fight. It seemed more than fair. 

Lorcasiel raised a hand, but the shouts continued. Vice-Captain Cariel whistled, the shrill sound cutting through the chatter. “Shut up!” she yelled. “If you don’t like the Captain’s decision, you can leave!” No one moved.

Clearing his throat, Lorcas said, “Wels is dropping down to the secondary line. You all witnessed the transition. He had a chance. Beat the rookie, and he could stay. It was a fair fight, but he lost.”

“That’s not fair,” said one of the Terran. “Wels has been on the team for the past five seasons.”

“If you think he belongs on the team so much, Tek, give him your spot,” said Lorcas. The Terran boy didn’t speak up again. “My decision is final. Welcome to the Hunt, rookies. We begin season training tomorrow. Don’t be late. You’re dismissed.”

Grumbling chatter filled the cavern as everyone dispersed. Lorcas turned back to Barach. “Come eat dinner with us.”

“I can’t,” he said. “My friend is waiting.”

Lorcas clasped his shoulder. “That wasn’t a request. You can bring your friend along. We eat during the third shift.” 

“I’d rather not.”

“Barach, you’re a Huntsman now. I keep my word. No harm will come to Gabe from any member of this team. Bring him to dinner with you.”

“Gabe wouldn’t eat with you if he was starving,” stated Barach. Lorcas grinned, his grey eyes filled with amusement. “But that’s not the friend waiting for me.”

“Well, whoever it is, they’re invited. We take care of our own, Barach. You made a good choice.”

“I doubt it,” said Barach.

Lorcas laughed and started walking off. “See you at dinner, rookie.”

For better or worse, Barach belonged to the Wild Hunt now.


	63. Gabriel: 15th Degree of Descendants, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel gets called in by one of his instructors. Everything gets worse from there.  
> ((non-con warnings apply))

Once Gabriel got over being mad at Barach for joining the Hunt, he realized he missed the companionship his friend had provided during their time together in the afternoons. For the first week, Gabriel found walking through the halls alone strange, even though no one bothered him. Everyone left him alone, just as Lorcas promised they would, but the loss of Barach at his side made Gabriel feel isolated. 

Even Erem stopped eating dinner with Gabriel, instead waiting for Barach to finish practice in the evenings. Since Gabriel refused to eat that late while sitting at a table with Lorcas and the rest of the Hunt, most nights he ate by himself. He arrived at the study group early, and read until the rest of the girls showed up.

However, Gabriel felt isolated even in the study group. With Ori always clinging to him so possessively, the other girls acted distant toward him. Ori got upset any time she thought someone was flirting with Gabriel, so the girls started avoiding talking to him. Their conversations were stiff and strained when he was around, and there were days he felt unwelcome there. 

Since he started publicly dating Ori, they definitely viewed him as a boy. It was like they resented his presence in the group, because he was Ori’s boyfriend, and no one else was allowed to bring their boyfriends along. Sera was the only one who didn’t seem to mind. 

Lately, Gabriel thought of Ori as more of an issue than a help. He wasn’t sure what he should do.

Gabriel dwelt on that problem as he wandered through the nearly empty halls. It was late after the last class, and most the students had vacated the classroom levels, heading off to the first shift of dinner or extracurricular activities. Gabriel slowly walked the path from his last class back to the math room, lost in his thoughts. When he got to the room, he paused, breathing deeply a few times to refocus his mind. 

Feeling as ready as ever, Gabriel knocked on the door and pushed it open. “Instructor Tassin? You wanted to see me?”

The Homm looked up. He sat at his desk, a quill in hand. “Ahnnak Gabriel. Here I was beginning to think you would skip again.”

“Sorry about last time, Instructor. It was my brother-”

“I remember your excuse, Gabriel. Come in, close the door behind you.”

Gabriel did, then walked over to stand before the desk. “Is that what this is about?”

Tassin made a few more marks on the parchments before him, then sat the quill down and looked up at Gabriel. “It’s about your test yesterday.”

“My test?”

“I’m only giving you half credit.”

Gabriel’s stomach sank. “Why? I know all the equations. I double checked my answers. Everything was correct. I even double checked my labels.”

“You cheated.”

“Cheated?!” he exclaimed, shocked by the accusation. “Why would you think that?”

“I’ve seen your type before, Ahnnak. You strut around Archridge like you’re better than the rest of us. You act like the rules don’t apply to you just because of who your father is. It makes me sick.”

“I don’t understand, Instructor. I didn’t cheat.”

“That Terran girl, the one you let fawn all over you. Your answers were the same as hers.”

“That’s because they were right! You can’t give me half credit just because we were both right!”

Tassin’s dark eyes narrowed. “I can, Gabriel. In fact, I am well within my rights to report you to the office and have you suspended. This type of behavior is not permitted at Archridge Academy.”

“Susp- Please, Instructor, don’t do that. I didn’t cheat. I’ve been studying with Ori.” If Tassin reported Gabriel to the headmaster, Gabriel already knew whose side Iscriel would take.

“Is that what you call it? Studying?” Tassin chuckled. “You really expect me to believe that?”

“Please. I’ll retake the test. I’ll do it now. Change the questions, ask me anything.”

“Anything?”

“Just please don’t report me. I need this class. I need to pass.”

Tassin leaned forward, fingers steepled as he appraised Gabriel, watching his stiff wings and the anxious tremor that shook his feathers every few seconds. The man slid his tongue over his teeth and asked, “How old are you, Gabe?”

“It’s Gabriel,” he corrected. “Why does my age matter?”

“You told me to ask you anything.” 

Gabriel swallowed hard, a sick feeling forming in his stomach. “I’m thirteen.” 

“Thirteen? You look younger. Does that bother you, Gabe, to look so young? To look like nothing more than a little boy?”

“It’s Gabriel,” he repeated, his wings giving another anxious flutter. 

“Do you think you’re better than me, Gabe? Is that why you insist on correcting me every time I say your name? You let the girl you cheat off of call you Gabe, yet you’ve walked through my class every day, flaunting your tight little ass, always making sure you’re at the center of my attention. Still, you continue to correct me and tell me not to call you Gabe.”

“Instructor Tassin, I- I never-” Gabriel took a step back from the wingless man’s desk. This was wrong. The air felt heavy.

“I know your type. I’ve dealt with boys like you before. Do you want to pass your test, Gabe? Do you want me to change your grades so you can have your perfect little score?”

“I don’t understand,” he said. Every instinct he had was telling him to get out of there.

“Don’t play dumb, Gabe. It’s not cute. There’s only one thing you need to say if you want me to change your grades.”

“Please?” Gabriel whispered, naively hopefully.

Tassin smiled. “Close, though I can teach you how to beg later. You say, ‘Yes, sir.’ Whatever I ask you to do, you say, ‘Yes, sir.’”

Gabriel looked at the door. “I can’t-”

“Then you’re failing this class, Gabe. You can take it again next year with me, but I doubt you’ll test any better. That is, if the Headmaster doesn’t just expel you for cheating and assault on an instructor.”

“I’ve never…” Gabriel closed his mouth. He realized the truth didn’t matter. This man could say anything and the academy would believe him. 

“With your record? Who do you really think he’s going to believe?” asked Tassin, mirroring Gabriel’s own thoughts.

“You can’t do this,” Gabriel said, his protest weak. 

“No one is forcing you to stay, Gabe. I’ve never forced anyone to stay. You want your grades changed? I’ll do it, but you’ll do as I say first.” 

Gabriel clenched his hands into fists. His wings quivered. He should just walk out. He should fly to the headmaster and tell him exactly what happened, and who cared if he got expelled? Maybe the headmaster would believe him. Maybe they’d fire Tassin.

But maybe they wouldn’t. If they didn’t believe Gabriel and they kicked him out, where would that leave Alex? What would happen to the boy if Gabriel was gone?

“Don’t look so worried, Gabe. I’m not going to touch you.” He smirked. “I’m an instructor after all. I have morals.”

“What do you want me to do?” he asked, lowering his ice-blue eyes.

“Are you going to obey me?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“That’s not how you answer,” said the man.

Gabriel swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Yes, sir.”

Tassin sighed with pleasure as a grin twisted his face. “Ah, and just like that, the proud Ahnnak are no better than the rest of us lowly Homm.” The man chuckled. “Gabe, oh, I can see it in your eyes. This is what you’ve wanted all year, isn’t it?”

Gabriel turned his face away from the instructor. He couldn’t bear to look at the Homm. “What do you want from me?”

“I want to see your body.” 

Gabriel’s head snapped up. “W-What?”

“You heard me little boy. Take off your clothes.” Tassin leaned back, looking completely comfortable ordering Gabriel around.

“I’m not going to-”

“Then leave, Gabe. I don’t care if you fail my class. Go ahead and go.” Tassin picked up the quill and resumed marking the parchment before him. 

Gabriel hesitated. His fingers touched the knot of fabric tied across his belly. “You won’t touch me?”

“Not unless you ask me to,” said Tassin, looking back up. 

“I’ll stay, sir,” he said hoarsely. Tassin smirked, and Gabriel began to untie the fabric of his shirt. His fingers were shaking so much he could scarcely get the knot undone. It finally came loose, and he dropped the ends and slipped it off his shoulders. His feathers felt cold against his bare back, and he knew Tassin was watching him as he carefully folded the fabric and lay it on the table behind him. He had walked around without a shirt a hundred times before, but he had never felt so exposed. He wrapped his arms around his chest. 

The corners of Tassin’s mouth curled back into a pleased sneer. “Well? Keep going. Pants off, too.”

Gabriel felt numb, like he was watching himself move from outside his body. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants and pushed them down over his hips. The fabric dropped around his ankles and he stepped out, not bothering to pick the pants up. He covered himself with his hands, his skin burning with humiliation. He could feel the Homm’s eyes on him, leering perversely.

“Stop trying to hide, Gabe. Put both your hands on your head,” ordered Tassin. “I want to see your little cock.”

Slowly, Gabriel raised his arms. He laced his fingers together behind his head and closed his eyes. 

With a sick chuckle, Tassin said, “My, oh my, you are just a little boy, aren’t you? You’ve barely got any hair. Have you ever masturbated before, Gabe?”

“No, sir,” he whispered.

“Don’t lie to me, Gabe. A boy your age? I’m sure you touch yourself all the time. Bring one hand down. Do it now.”

“I don’t… I haven’t…” Gabriel’s wings trembled. He pulled them tight against his back, trying to hide his despair. 

Tassin laughed unpleasantly. “You liar. You Ahnnak try to act all pure and righteous, but you’re no better than anyone else. You’re just scum with pretty wings and your daddy’s money,” sneered the Homm instructor. “Now stroke yourself. Get that little cock hard.”

Shamefully, Gabriel lowered his hand to cup himself. His touch felt cold, his fingers circling his soft flesh.

“Yes,” Tassin moaned. “Keep touching yourself like that. Squeeze and stroke that cock slow and easy. I don’t want to you stop until you come.”

To his horror, Gabriel felt a twitch in his flaccid penis, his body stiffening even as he felt like throwing up. It grew thicker and longer, filling his hand. He clenched his fist in his silver hair hard enough to hurt, keeping the one hand on his head as he rubbed himself with the other. 

“Look at me, Gabe,” Tassin said. Remorsefully, Gabriel opened his eyes. “Yes, I want to see your pretty blue eyes while you touch yourself. I see you watching me in class. I know how filthy you really are. Stroke yourself faster.” Gabriel did, though probably not as much as the instructor wanted. “When I tell you to do something, Gabe, you say, ‘Yes, sir.’ Understand?”

“Yes, sir.” He hated the way his voice sounded. He was breathing in gasps as his hand continually stroked the length of him. The pleasure curled around his belly, though it was tainted by the Homm’s eager eyes.

“I wonder what you think of when you’re alone in your room like this. You imagine some girl’s pretty mouth wrapped around you?”

“No, sir.”

The Homm’s eyebrows raised. “You think of boys?”

“No, sir. I-I don’t think of anything.”

“Nothing? That’s hard to believe.” Tassin smirked. “Squeeze your little dick tighter.”

“Yes, sir.” Gabriel squeezed himself harder as he stroked. 

Tassin licked his lips hungrily. “You know,” he mused, “a boy like you probably doesn’t even know what you want yet. You’re so young and impressionable… I know what you really need. You need a mentor. Someone big and strong who can show you how to be a man. Someone like me. That’s why you’ve been acting out so much my class, isn’t it? You’ve been trying to get my attention. You’ve been begging to show off like this.” 

“Please, sir, that’s not-”

“Quiet, Gabe,” Tassin commanded. “You don’t have to pretend with me. Just keep touching yourself. See, I know boys like you. You’re such a little slut. You’re so eager to show off, you’d do it for anyone, wouldn’t you? Look at how hard you are now. You like this.” 

Gabriel shook his head, but he stayed quiet. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like being there at all. But he could feel the pleasure building in his body with the constant touching. He didn’t want to come before this man, but he knew he would.

Tassin continued talking. “I wonder what you’ll be like when you get older. I wonder if you’ll keep those cute little baby cheeks. I wonder how many cocks you’ll suck before you let a man take your ass. Yeah, I can see it in you. You’re going to be such a cock-hungry little whore. I can tell. That first cock up your ass if going to hurt, Gabe. I already know you’re going to find a man too big for you to fit, but he’s going to force it in anyway. A big Homm, bulging with muscles, who doesn’t even care if he makes you cry.”

Gabriel whimpered, his orgasm hitting him hard. He caught most of it in his hand, but some of it splattered on the floor. He felt weak.

With a laugh, Tassin said, “Such a dirty little slut, Gabe. Look at the mess you made. Lick your semen off your hand. Get it all.” Cringing, Gabriel did as he was told. “Yes, such a naughty boy, Gabe. You like that, don’t you?”

When his hand was clean, Tassin pointed to the floor. “Use your pants to clean this up.”

“Sir?”

“You heard me. Don’t leave a mess in my classroom. You’re lucky I don’t make you bend down and lick it off the floor. The only reason I don’t is because seeing your ass turned up in the air, offering yourself to me, well, I might not be able to resist.” He smirked. “Plus, I like the idea of you wearing your pants back to your room with your sticky slime smeared all over them. Everyone will be able to smell what you’ve done all over you.”

Keeping his back away from the instructor, Gabriel knelt down and used his pants to wipe the floor clean. Nothing felt real. 

He looked up to see Tassin gloating over him. “Thank the Isten they made you so pretty. I bet they knew what a filthy little slut you’d be.”

“Sir, my grades?”

Tassin laughed. “Grades. Yes. I’ll change them. We’ll call this extra credit. You’ll have your perfect score, Gabe. Until next month.” 

Gabriel stood, holding his pants. “Thank you, sir. Can I go now?” He had to get out of there. He was going to throw up.

“No one is stopping you,” Tassin replied. The Homm watched Gabriel dress, enjoying the way the spots of wet fabric stuck to Gabriel’s leg. As Gabriel tied his shirt and hurried to the door, the instructor called after him. “See you in class, Gabe.” 

Gabriel reached the hallway before he started running. No one was in the public bathrooms as he threw himself into a stall and started vomiting. 

He stayed there until nothing else came out. His whole body was shaking, even his wings. They wouldn’t fold flat against his back. 

What had he done? How could he have done something so humiliating in front of an instructor like that? 

He washed his face in the hot water from the sink, rinsing out his mouth and spitting several times. As Gabriel looked at his pale reflection in the mirror, he barely recognized himself. 

A flash of fury seared through him. He closed his fist and punched the mirror. He hit it hard three times, shattering it more with each punch. A smear of blood remained on the broken glass. He looked at his hand. Broken shards jutted from his knuckles. He opened his fist, staring at it with cold detachment. He barely felt the pain. 

Gabriel wrapped his hand in the edge of his shirt, holding it against his belly. He left the bathroom, going down the hall to the foyer and jumping off the edge. He flew down to the dorms and walked through the halls, ignoring the stares of students as he passed. They could probably smell him. Maybe the blood and vomit covered the smell of the semen drying against his pants. He entered his room and slammed the door shut. 

Immediately, Gabriel took off his clothes. He threw them in the trash, then lit the trash on fire. He stared at the burning bin for a while, even as the smoke stung his eyes. Blood from his hand dripped down the front of him, shaking him from his daze. He put on new pants, then took a towel and laid in on his desk. Carefully, he sat and picked all the bloody shards of glass from his skin as the fire burned.

***

“What are you doing?!” Erem yelled, bursting into the room. He coughed on the smoke billowing out of the trash and immediately ran over to suppress the fire. He waved his wings, trying to clear the smoke away. “What the hell, Gabe?”

Gabriel spit a piece of glass onto his desk. His skin was healing over the shards faster than he could get them out, so he had to continue to bite through the new skin. Blood smeared across his lips. “Don’t call me that,” he said, feeling another sharp piece in his knuckle. He brought his hand back up to his mouth. 

“Shit, your hand!” exclaimed Erem. “You need to see a medic.”

“I am not going to a medic,” he said. He sucked at his skin, working the glass out with his tongue and teeth.

Erem moved closer, concern on his face. “That looks bad, you need help, Gabe-”

Gabriel moved fast, startling the blue-skinned boy as he shoved him against the wall. Through clenched teeth, he hissed, “I told you not to fucking call me that. My name is Gabriel. I am a heir, and _no one_ gets to call me that. You speak to me with fucking respect.”

Erem raised his hands, panic in his yellow eyes. “O-Okay. Okay, Gabriel. Calm down. It’s just me. Just Erem. I’m your friend.”

Gabriel stared at him a moment more, hardly recognizing him. He stepped back and released the boy, realizing he’d gotten some of his blood on Erem’s shirt. “You should burn that.”

“It’s just blood… Fiends… What happened to you?” Erem’s voice shook, even as it was filled with concern. “Was it the Hunt?”

Gabriel wiggled his fingers. He could still feel bits of glass under his skin. He walked back over to the desk and sat down. Erem followed, shadowing him like he thought Gabriel was going to hurt himself. “It wasn’t the Hunt. I’m not going to talk about it.”

“Will you at least let me help with your hand?” asked Erem.

“Fine,” Gabriel agreed.

Erem left his side for a moment, coming back with a clean cloth, a small bowl, and his carving knife. Gabriel gave him his hand, watching though heavily lidded eyes as Erem carefully cleaned him up. 

Erem took his time. He examined the wounds first, touching them lightly with his fingertips. He condensed water in the bowl next, circling his finger over the top like he was stirring a pot. He filled it half way before he stopped. He drew some of the water out, sliding it over Gabriel’s skin and removing the blood before he dried him with the cloth. After that, Erem used his carving knife to slowly slice open the skin over one of the pieces of glass. 

Gabriel barely felt the cut. He knew it was sharp, but it was like something was blocking the pain from his mind. He just watched silently as Erem pressed his nails into the cut and withdrew a small piece of glass. He dropped the shard on the desk, then repeated the procedure with the next spot.

While Erem extracted the glass, Gabriel watched him. He _really_ watched the way Erem moved. Every cut he made was slow and methodical. He held Gabriel’s hand close to his face, eyes focused intensely on the way his skin separated under the knife. Erem’s wings were puffed up, but it wasn’t from disgust at the blood. He was excited. He liked it.

“You’re sick,” Gabriel said, watching his friend. 

Erem glanced up for a second, then went back to cutting his skin. “I can’t help it,” he said softly. 

“You like hurting people?”

“It’s not like that… It’s the way bodies heal. Cutting through, getting out the bad, letting the new heal over…”

“So it’s not about the pain?”

“I… I like that too,” Erem whispered. He pressed against Gabriel’s skin, letting the pressure eject the glass shard from the wound. He picked it up between his nails and dropped it with the others.

“So you like this? You like seeing me hurt?”

“I don’t, Gabe. _Gabriel_. You’re not yourself right now. I’m just trying to help.”

Gabriel tilted his head. Tauntingly slow, he said, “But you like the way my blood drips over my skin, don’t you Erem?”

Erem’s wings twitched, a definite yes, but he kept his face calm. “There, I’m done.” He drew the water from the bowl again, sweeping it over Gabriel’s knuckles and cleaning the wounds. He dried Gabriel’s hand with the towel, then let go of him.

Causally, Gabriel examined his hand. He didn’t feel any more bits of glass in him. Erem had gotten them all out. His knuckles were laced with little cuts, but they were clean and would heal quickly. He turned his ice-blue eyes to Erem. 

“Who do you hurt to practice this on?”

Erem shifted uncomfortably. “Myself. Barach lets me sometimes, like when he gets a splinter or something at the stables.”

Gabriel stood, sweeping all the glass shards off the desk and into his hand. He took them over to the smoldering trash and dropped them in. “There’s something wrong with you,” he told Erem.

“Yeah? There’s something wrong with you, too,” the blue-skinned boy replied. He stepped in front of Gabriel, stopping him from returning to his desk. “What happened?”

“It’s none of your concern.”

“You’re my friend, Ga-Gabriel. Of course I’m concerned.”

“Am I, though? Am I really? You’re with Barach all the time. Even when he joined the Hunt, you took his side. You eat with him and those fiends. You talk with them like they haven’t been terrorizing me for the past year. How am I supposed to see that as something my friend would do?”

“What do you want me to do? Sit here alone in the dark, waiting for you to come back from the library to yell at me for three seconds before you pass out? You’re the one who chose this life.” His eyes narrowed. “You chose to take those stupid classes and bring Alex here. If anyone should be blamed for how miserable you are, it’s him.”

Gabriel didn’t remember hitting Erem, but the boy was suddenly on the floor, hand over his nose as bright red blood poured from between his blue fingers. “Don’t talk about my brother.”

“Fiends, Gabriel! You hit me!” Erem took his hand away from his face, staring wide eyed at the red stain that covered his skin.

“What are you complaining about? You like it, don’t you?” He walked back over to his desk and started cleaning up the mess. His wings remained stiff behind him, unable to close.

Erem pushed himself off the floor. He pressed his shirt to his nose. “You need to talk about it with someone. Whatever happened to you today-”

“If I want to talk to someone, I’ll talk to my girlfriend, Erem, not you. Get out.”

“What? You can’t-”

“GET OUT!”

Erem stared at him a moment, then grabbed a new shirt from the closet and took it with him as he left. When the door slammed shut behind him, Gabriel slumped onto the bench and put his head in his hands. He began crying, but at least there was no one around to hear him.


	64. Remiel: 26th Degree of Descendants, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone goes to the Descendants Festival.

Sophie spun around, the delicate skirts flaring out like a blossoming flower around her hips. She stopped and grinned at Remiel as the fabric sank back down slowly. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re beautiful,” he said, smiling at her. 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she replied happily. She stood on her toes to kiss him. “I’ve never had a dress so light before. You really made this?”

“Just for you. Look, it has pockets.” 

Sophie touched her hips, smiling wide. She reached into one pocket and pulled out what Remiel had hidden there, tied to a ribbon. “What is this, Remi? One of your rings?”

He took her hand, closing her fist around the ring. “Its a promise. I may not be able to marry you right now Sophie, but I promise I will be with you for as long as you’ll have me.” 

Sophie’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re such an idiot, Remi! Making me cry like this before the festival!” She sniffled.

“I can’t tell if you’re happy about this or not,” he said, nervously laughing.

“Of course I’m happy!” She smacked his shoulder then threw her arms around his neck. “You’re so dumb, but you make me so happy.”

He smiled and pressed his face into her wild hair as he hugged her. “That’s a relief. For a second I thought you might hate it, and I’d have to go to the Descendants Festival without a date.”

She hugged him tighter. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy, Remi.” They kissed again, and Remiel thought he might melt from happiness.

The door to the bathing room opened, then immediately slammed shut. Sophie gave Remiel another quick kiss, then stepped back from him. “It’s okay, Alex, you can come out now. We’re done.”

The door creaked open slightly, a black eye peering out to confirm for certain. Once he saw they weren’t kissing anymore, he opened the door and stepped out. “I don’t like these clothes,” he said.

“Aw! You look adorable!” Sophie gushed.

Alex wore an outfit very similar to Remiel’s, besides the color. The knee length kilt was stiff, wrapped around and pinned in place by a broach at the hip. Loose white shirts covered their chests, but where Remiel’s sleeves were tied tight around his forearms, Alex’s were still loose, hanging past his fingers.

“It’s not that different from what you normally wear,” said Remiel. “Hop up on the bed, let me fix your sleeves.”

“It’s the skirt. It’s too short,” said Alex, climbing up. “I want to wear leggings under it.” He sat down, trying to tug the fabric past his knees.

“It’s ceremonial, Alex. It’s just what we wear for the festival.” Where Remiel had used gold cords to tie his sleeves, he used silver for Alex. They matched Alex’s outfit and the tartan blues and silvers of the lineage of the Isten Jequn. He tied Alex’s sleeves down, wrapping the cord around his forearms. 

“I don’t like this,” Alex repeated as Remiel finished tying the cord. “I don’t like wearing these colors.”

“But that’s how you’re recognized as Ahnnak,” explained Sophie, smiling sweetly down at Alex. “They’re your father’s colors. Come on, hop down and do a spin for me.”

“Do I have to?” the boy complained.

“I demand it,” said Sophie, smiling wide. Alex slid of the bed and did a slow turn before her. Sophie squealed. “Oh my goodness, you look so cute! I can’t believe how grown up you look like that!”

Alex’s cheeks flushed. “I don’t want to be cute.”

“Handsome, then,” she said, very seriously, putting her hands on her hips. “You’re a very handsome young man.”

“I don’t think I like that either,” said Alex, looking up at her with a pout.

“Tough. Goodness, when you get older, I can tell the girls are just going to be falling all over themselves to get near you. You gotta stop getting hurt, though, or it’ll stunt your growth.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Gabriel, appearing in the doorway of the room. He was wearing an outfit that matched Alex’s, but he had rolled his sleeves up his arms and wrapped the silver cords around his bare wrists. The way he stood there, he looked completely confident in the garb, and, if Remiel was honest, a little bit intimidating.

Sophie smiled at him, not even missing a beat when the silver-haired boy silently appeared. “I was just saying how handsome Alex is looking.”

“About his growth, Sophie,” Gabriel clarified.

“Oh, well, Alex has had a lot of accidents this past year.” She smiled down at the little boy. “Without a medic healing you and setting your bones right, your body would have had to do it all by itself. It could, with a little more time, but it diverts all your energy into recovery. Getting hurt frequently could stunt your growth. That’s why you’ve got to be more careful.” 

Gabriel was looking at his brother, his expression unreadable. “Are you hurt now?”

Alex shook his head. He hadn’t had any injuries over the past few weeks, which, when Remiel thought of it, he realized was kind of strange. “He’s fine, Gabriel. We were just finishing getting him dressed.”

“I don’t like wearing these colors,” said Alex, black eyes focused on his brother.

Gabriel moved across the room toward him. He touched Alex’s chin, tilting his head back and forth as if looking for any marks or injuries. His cold blue eyes took in Alex’s attire. He met Alex’s gaze, still holding his chin. “These are the colors of our father, and I don’t want to hear one more word of complaint about it. Understand?”

Alex’s black eyes widened slightly and his breathing quickened. _Fear_. “Yes, Brother,” he said, his voice tiny.

“Good.” Gabriel released him. “Let’s go.” 

Trembling, Alex stayed at his brother’s side, following him out of the academy. Remiel and Sophie flew with them up to Marut, the city above the cliffs, which was a bright spot of light under the dark sky. Lanterns lit the city and music filled the air, as thousands of people came together to celebrate the Descendants Festival. 

This was Alex’s first time in Marut, and Remiel knew it overwhelmed him. The little boy pressed against his brother’s side, but Gabriel shook him off. He offered his hand, and Alex took that, holding tight with both hands.

They walked through the streets, looking at the celebration. Stalls of food were set up everywhere, performers and musicians on every corner. Gabriel bought Alex anything the boy showed the slightest interest in. 

A girl ran by with a ribbon streaming behind her. She stopped and smiled at Gabriel, bowing deeply to him before she ran on. 

An old Homm woman approached, her face lined with wrinkles. She bowed to Remiel and held out a paper flower. He took it from her and smiled. “Thank you.” Her face lit up with happiness, and a younger Homm woman came up to support the old lady as Remiel and Sophie continued after Gabriel and Alex.

It was like that everywhere they walked through the streets. Acknowledgment or little tokens of affection for the Ahnnak, a celebration of the children who were the future of E’din. They got free food at some of the stalls, but most of the people just bowed and continued on.

When a little Homm boy ran up to Alex and thrust a pink flower to his chest, Remiel thought for sure they were going to have an incident. Gabriel’s eyes flashed with rage, and he plucked the flower from the Homm boy’s hand. His tone was dark, barely hiding his fury as he growled, “Thank you.” The boy looked up at him, mouth hanging open. If he’d had wings, Remiel was certain they would have been shaking, but his knees seemed to be doing enough of that on their own.. The boy ducked his head briefly and ran off, disappearing back into the crowd.

Gabriel dropped the flower and stepped on it.

“Oh, don’t look so sour,” said Sophie. “This is a festival. It’s supposed to be fun.” She twirled one of the paper pinwheels a young man had given Remiel. The colors flashed quickly as it spun. “See? Fun.” She handed it to Alex. “Blow on it.”

Only letting go of Gabriel with one hand, Alex took the pinwheel. He looked skeptical, but he blew softly at the paper. It spun with his breath, and he smiled a little. He did it again.

Gabriel watched him for a moment, then sighed. “Fun. Right. Let’s get out of the crowd until the fireworks start. I know a teashop we can go to.” He squeezed Alex’s hand and led the way. 

It was slow moving through the crowd, but eventually they made it to a back alley that was a little less crowded. They entered a shop and sat at the one empty table remaining. It was busy, but it was quieter than being on the streets.

“Oh, this is nice!” said Sophie. She picked up the menu. “A little pricey, but…”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Gabriel, avoiding looking at them both. “I’ve got it.” He caught the attention of a girl behind the counter who lit up when she saw him. He held up his hand, four fingers up. She nodded and disappeared from sight.

“You come here often?” Remiel asked. 

Gabriel turned back to Alex, sweeping some of his black hair over his shoulder as the little boy blew on the pinwheel again. “I’ve been here a few times.”

“On dates?” Sophie asked with a grin.

Cold blue eyes shifted to her. Gabriel didn’t say anything, but there was something unpleasant in that gaze. Remiel chuckled nervously. “Ah, I mean, I think you’re right, Sophie. This would be a nice place to take someone on a date. I think we should come back here again. One day. After the festival. Maybe when it’s not so busy. Just you and me, on a date.”

Sophie touched his arm. “You’re rambling.”

“Sorry,” he said, giving her an apologetic smile. 

Somehow, they were able to keep the conversation civil until the food arrived. The server never asked for their order, just brought over a steaming pot of fragrant tea and a small variety of cakes. 

“Do you have anything that’s not sweet?” Remiel asked before the server walked away. He tilted his head toward Alex, who showed no interest in the cakes on the table before him, just continued to gently blow into the pinwheel and watch the colors blur.

She nodded. “I’ll see what I can find.” 

Gabriel scowled. “I forgot.”

“It’s okay,” said Remiel. “That’s why I’m here. I know you’re busy. Sometimes things slip your mind.”

After a moment, the server brought over a small plate with puffed bread shaped like stars. “There you go, little Ahnnak. Just plain bread, but its still warm.” 

Alex flashed a brief smile at her, then picked up one puff of bread and ate it. He looked happy. “It’s good.”

Once Sophie tried a bite of the cake, Remiel was certain he’d be back here again with her. It wouldn’t be very often, though, because the place was expensive. He had used most of his recent pay to buy the fabric to make her dress. It would be a while before he had more available.

“So where are your friends?” asked Sophie, smiling at Gabriel as he picked at a fruit tart.

“Who?” he replied, glaring at her like she annoyed him.

“Barach and Erem,” said Remiel, clarifying even though he knew Gabriel was aware of who Sophie was asking about. “They could have joined us.”

“I didn’t ask them to.”

“Why?”

“None of your business, tutor.” Gabriel took a bite of the fruit tart, watching Remiel like he was waiting for him to argue. Remiel didn’t. He quietly refilled the tea all around. 

When they had finished all but the last few bites of the cakes, an excited girl came over to the table. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but my friends and I happened to see you, and we had to ask. Are you all Ahnnak?”

“I’m not,” said Sophie. “They are.”

“I knew it!” the girl cried. “I knew you were. I know your colors.” 

Remiel was surprised to find she was talking to him. “You do?”

“It’s the gold and burgundy of the Isten Abbadon. Are you Ekriel, by any chance?”

She looked so excited, he hated to disappoint her, but he said, “No, sorry. That’s my third cousin. I’ve never met him.”

“Oh. I see.” She gave him that smile people used when they realized he was from the _other_ side of Abbadon’s line. Definitely disappointed. Her attention shifted to Gabriel and Alex. Alex was half hiding behind his brother. “I’m sorry, I don’t recognize your colors. Who are you descended from?”

“I am descended from an Isten who taught me basic manners, like that it is rude to bother strangers while they’re eating,” said Gabriel. 

The girl was taken aback. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.” She bowed quickly to them and hurried back to her table of friends.

Sophie sighed. “That wasn’t very nice, Gabriel. She was just curious.”

“I am not here to satisfy the curiosity of Homm. I came to spend an evening with my brother and enjoy the Descendants Festival.” He sat down his fork. “I don’t remember people being this pushy when I was younger.”

With a teasing smirk, Sophie said, “You’re turning out to be a handsome young man yourself, you know.” 

Gabriel glared at her. “I think it’s time to go.” He stood up, tossing a small gold coin easily worth three times the cost of the food back to the server behind the counter. She grinned at him so wide it was like her face would split in half. No wonder they treated him so well there. Gabriel called Alex to him, and they walked out of the teashop. 

Before Remiel and Sophie could follow them out, Alex came back in. He was pouting. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Remiel.

“He told me to stay with you.”

“What? Why?”

The little boy frowned a bit and said, “I think it’s the Hunt.”

***

Remiel emerged from the shop, keeping Alex close at his side. Gabriel stood in the middle of the alley, facing down a girl with chin length brown hair. She didn’t look very happy. Behind her were a few couples, keeping their distance, but definitely watching. Remiel was surprised to recognize Barach and Erem in the group. They were both wearing the colors of their Isten, Erem in yellow and silver, Barach in black and red. A girl hung on Barach’s arm, and he was leaning down to listen as she whispered something in his ear. An identical girl stood beside Erem, but they weren’t even holding hands. The blue-skinned boy looked miserable.

Then Remiel noticed Lorcasiel in the group, the Huntsman who had rescued Alex from the forest. He saw Remiel come out of the shop and lifted his chin, smiling a bit in acknowledgment. Remiel was still very grateful for what the Huntsman had done that day. He smiled back and bowed to him from across the alley. 

The girl the Huntsman stood with was very pretty, with brown hair ending in lavender spirals. She watched Gabriel and the girl before him with concern and worry. Lorcasiel had an arm draped around her shoulders. Remiel had a moment to think that they made the perfect couple before his attention was diverted back to Gabriel and the girl in the center of the alley.

“But you said you weren’t going to the festival,” the girl said. She was just a little taller than Gabriel, maybe a year or two older than him.

“I said I wasn’t going to the festival _with you_ ,” he replied. His wings were slightly open, stiff with tension. 

“The Descendants Festival is for couples, Gabe. You should be here with me.”

“I’ve told you not to call me that.”

The girl glanced behind her, at the group of Huntsmen and her friends. Gathering her courage, she turned back to Gabriel. “Well, you’re here now. Why don’t you come with us?”

“I don’t want to. I’m busy.” 

“With who?” the girl demanded. She reached out and grabbed Gabriel’s arm as he started to turn away from her. 

Alex flinched, like he thought his brother was being attacked. He peered out from around Remiel with wide black eyes. Remiel tried to smile reassuringly at him, but Alex barely seemed aware that he was there.

Gabriel glared at the hand on his arm, but the girl didn’t remove it. “Leave me alone, Oriel.” 

“Is it another girl?”

“If it was?” 

“Why are you acting so cold, Gabe? Don’t you lo-” She didn’t finish her words because Gabriel shoved her back. _Hard_. She stumbled a couple steps, wings flashing out, but she fell on her butt with all her light skirts surrounding her. She stared up in shock.

Gabriel glared down at her. “I am heir to the Isten Jequn and you will say my name with respect or you will not say it at all,” he said, his words falling harshly on the girl before him. 

Lorcasiel shot forward. The next thing Remiel knew, Gabriel was on his ass in the dirt, touching a split lip and glaring up with ice-blue eyes. Remiel was so surprised, he didn’t grab Alex as he jumped forward, throwing himself between Gabriel and Lorcasiel.

“Don’t hurt him!” the little boy exclaimed, holding his arms out wide. 

Before anything of the terrible things that flashed through Remiel’s mind could happen, Barach was there. He stood between the Huntsman and the boys, hand pressed to Lorcasiel’s chest and wings spread wide. 

“Touch him again and I quit.” Barach looked back over his shoulder. “Get your little brother and go,” he told Gabriel. 

Gabriel glared up at him, but he stood. He picked Alex up and walked away. 

Remiel watched for a moment as the lavender haired girl helped the girl in the dirt up, making sure she was okay. Barach and Lorcasiel stood chest to chest, glaring at each other, but Barach didn’t waiver.

Taking Sophie’s hand, Remiel hurried after Gabriel and Alex. It was probably best to get out of there. That had been much too close to disaster. 

***

Once they were clear of the fabric canopies blocking the sky in the alley, Gabriel jumped up, carrying Alex to a rooftop. Remiel and Sophie quickly followed. 

The empty roof of the building was flat and open to the sky. There were a few other Terran a couple rooftops over, but they were having a party, oblivious to the small group. 

Gabriel sat Alex down, but he held his brother’s arm. “That was stupid, Alex.”

“I’m sorry, Brother.” The boy was shaking, and not just from being carried.

“He could have hit you.”

Alex shook his head, his black hair swaying around his shoulders. “I don’t care. I didn’t want him to hurt you again.” 

“I’m not hurt.” Reaching out, Alex touched Gabriel’s lip. He pulled his fingers back and showed him the blood. “Damn it, Alex,” said Gabriel. He grabbed his little brother’s hand and used his own white shirt to clean the blood from Alex’s little fingers.

“I’m sorry, Brother,” the little boy said again.

“Let me see,” said Sophie, stepping forward. 

“I don’t need a healer,” said Gabriel.

“Hush. Don’t act like a child. It won’t hurt.” He jerked his head back from her once, but when she reached for him again, Gabriel let her touch him. The soft yellow glow of her energy hovered around his lip, mending the split flesh. “There, all better. So who was that girl?”

“No one,” Gabriel said, wiping the rest of the blood from his face. His skin was flawless once more. Sophie had become very fast and efficient with her healing. Remiel was impressed. Even as his heart pounded in his chest over what had nearly happened, he couldn’t help but admire his girlfriend.

“No one?” asked Sophie. “The way she talked, she sounded like your girlfriend.”

Gabriel glared at her. “Stay out of it.”

Sophie shrugged. “Sure. I mean, you did almost start a brawl in an alley, and, as the nearest healer, I would have been forced to sacrifice the rest of my evening fixing up you and whatever other boy was stupid enough to get in a fight, but sure. I’ll stay out of it.”

“This is a wonderful spot to watch the fireworks!” Remiel blurted, grabbing Sophie and pulling her away from Gabriel before things escalated. “Let’s stay here and watch!” 

Sophie swatted at him. “Remi, what are you-”

“Sounds good,” said Gabriel, turning his back on them. He walked a few steps away then sat down on the roof. Alex walked over when he patted the rooftop beside him. The little boy sat by his brother quietly.

Remiel sighed with relief and found a comfortable spot for him and Sophie to sit on the roof. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to her.

“Don’t be sorry, Remi. They’re just kids.” She smiled at him and placed a light kiss on his cheek. “I’m just happy I get to spend the evening with you.”

“Even if we’re not alone?”

“You know I don’t mind. I understand your responsibilities, just as you understand mine.” She leaned her head against his shoulder.

Placing a kiss on her forehead, Remiel said, “How did I end up with someone so wonderful?”

“Just lucky I guess,” she replied, smiling at him.

A little ways away, Alex softly asked, “Brother… are you angry with me?” 

“I told you to stay with Remi,” the boy replied.

Alex fidgeted, his wings squeezing tight against his back. “Are you angry that I’m here?”

“What?” Gabriel turned to look at Alex, his silver brow knit.

“Wouldn’t you rather be with your friends? And that girl?”

“Alex, no.” Gabriel gave a frustrated sigh. “I’m here with you because I wanted to take you to the Descendants Festival. You missed it last year, because of the scorpions. I didn’t want you to miss it again.”

Alex lowered his eyes. “I could have gone with Uzzi’s matron. They went this morning, during the day.”

“But then you would have missed the fireworks. Trust me, Alex, I am right where I want to be.” He reached over and ruffled Alex’s black hair.

After a moment, Alex asked, “What are fireworks?”

Gabriel smiled a bit and took his brother’s hand. “They’re colorful explosions in the sky, really high up. They’ll be starting soon.”

“Explosions?” Alex looked paler.

“It’s okay. I’m going to be here with you,” the silver-haired boy said reassuringly. 

A single line arched into the sky then, releasing a loud pop. Alex jumped, head snapping up at the sound.

“It’s the warning shot,” said Remiel. “So everyone has a chance to clear the air.

“This is so exciting!” Sophie said, fanning her wings behind her. “I love the fireworks.”

“Me, too,” said Remiel, giving her another light kiss. He tried to focus completely on her, and ignore the apprehension radiating off Alex. He was able to. Mostly. The boy was with his brother. There was only so much he could do.

When the first firework shot into the sky, exploding outward in a colorful array of gold and purple sparks, Alex yelped. He tried hiding, but Gabriel stopped him from diving beneath his wings. He dragged Alex back around as he crossed his legs, his kilt stretched tight between his thighs, and pulled Alex into his lap. “It’s okay, Alex. Calm down.” He held his little brother in his lap, facing out with his wings trapped between their bodies. Alex squirmed a bit, but Gabriel wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist. “Relax. I’ve got you.”

“It’s too loud,” Alex whimpered.

Gabriel hugged him tight. “You know I’m not going to let anything hurt you. Just be good and sit with me.” 

Another explosion rocked the air. Alex jumped again, fingers digging into Gabriel’s arm. 

“I’ve got you,” Gabriel said soothingly. “Look. See the colors? They use powdered fuel to ignite the rockets, but they’re filled with different granulated metals, so when it explodes, it creates the patterns and colors. The students in the chemistry specialization work half the year to create these.” Another firework exploded, lighting the sky up with a shower of blue sparks. “See that one? The blue is made with copper chloride. Clusters of the metal are placed in a pattern around an explosive core, so when the delayed fuse reaches it in the air, it creates the pattern…” 

Gabriel kept talking to Alex, explaining the different chemical reactions that made up the fireworks as they each exploded. Gradually, the boy relaxed in his arms, until he didn’t seem bothered by the noise anymore. Alex lay his head back on Gabriel’s shoulder, staring up at the colorful explosions as they glittered across the sky. They were quiet together for the last few minutes of the display. Gabriel lay his cheek against Alex’s hair. 

When the last of the fireworks went off, a big display created by the chemistry instructors, a cheer spread throughout the city. The sky fell silent after that, and Terran took to the air again.

“Looks safe to fly,” said Remiel. “Are we ready to go back?”

“Already?” asked Sophie. Remiel indicated Alex, who looked exhausted. The little boy yawned, but he didn’t let go of Gabriel’s arm to cover his mouth. She sighed. “I guess.”

“You two stay,” Gabriel said. “It’s fine. I’ll take him back.”

“You sure?” asked Remiel.

“Don’t question him, Remi, he said it was fine.” Sophie hopped up, pulling Remiel up with her. 

“I’ll stay with him until morning, so don’t worry about coming back tonight.” Gabriel slid Alex off his lap while he stood. The black-haired boy wobbled slightly and clung to his brother’s hand after they were both standing.

Remiel was hesitant, but Sophie tugged on his arm. They hadn’t had a chance to go out and be alone together since the Harvest. Remiel relented. “Alright. Since you’re sure. I’ll check in on him when I get back. No peppers before bed. Oh, and he likes the lower blanket, not the top one so just pull it back-”

“Remi, go,” Gabriel insisted. 

Remiel waved at Alex, then let Sophie pull him off the roof. 

***

It was nearly dawn when Sophie and Remiel made it back to the academy. After a night of dancing and partying, they were both exhausted, but she held his hand and pulled him back to his room with a mischievous smile. He followed her, feeling like he had the stupidest grin on his face, but unable to stop it. 

When they entered his private room, Remiel had the pleasure of watching Sophie slip out of the dress he made her. She pulled him to her, and he lost himself in the delights she offered until well after the sun rose.

They lay naked and spent in his bed, bodies pressed together, skin chilled with sweat. Sophie murmured happily, nuzzling against his bare chest. Her nail grazed across one of his nipples. “You really thinking of piercing this too?”

He chuckled, placing his hand over hers. “It’s just an experiment. I saw one of the Homm in the city with rings through both nipples.”

“You have the weirdest hobbies,” she said, giving him an affectionate squeeze. “I spend all my time healing wounds, and you keep poking new holes through yourself.”

“It’s just fashion.”

“Sure, Remi,” she murmured, pressing her mouth to his collarbone in a warm kiss. She sat up. “You going to go?”

“Just real quick. You know I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t.”

“Go on then,” she said. “I’ll keep the bed warm.” 

Remiel slipped out of bed and pulled on his pair of loose silk pants draped across the bench in the corner of the room. He smiled at Sophie as he pushed his thick hair back from his face. She snuggled back down into the bed, looking warm and inviting. He hated to leave her.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, Remi.” 

Barefoot, Remiel hurried down the cold stone hall to Imperial housing. It wasn’t very far from where his room was, and he saw no one else in the halls. That didn’t surprise him, not that early on a holiday weekend morning. He climbed the stairs two at a time, and quietly crept into Alex’s bedroom.

Alex lay in bed beneath his favorite blanket. His brother slept at his side, on top of the blanket, still in his ceremonial outfit. They both looked so young and peaceful sleeping like that. 

On tiptoes, Remiel found another blanket and draped it over Gabriel. The boy muttered something in his sleep, a brief scowl on his face, before he snuggled closer to Alex and calmed. 

They’d be fine. 

Remiel sighed with relief, then returned to his room and the warmth of the beautiful girl waiting for him. 


	65. Alex: 3rd Degree of Saviors, 594 DE

The flight class ended for the day, and the children dispersed, talking and laughing as they headed off for lunch and their next classes. Remiel wasn’t there yet, which was strange, but he was probably just running late. Alex walked with Uzzi toward the stairs back into the halls of the academy.

“You did good today,” said Mace, running by with Phrasa. 

_See you tomorrow_ , Phrasa signed, only pausing long enough glance back at Alex.

_See you tomorrow_ , he signed in return, and watched the two girls run ahead. 

Since the accident with the lightning bolt and the tree a few months ago, Phrasa and Mace had spent a lot of time with each other. While Phrasa was recovering, Mace barely left her side, and the girls had grown close. It was rare to see them apart now, except when they were in separate classes.

Nenghi jogged up to Alex and spun around so she was walking backward down the hall before him. She held out her hand and they went through the handshake they had developed, which they preformed without any mistakes even while moving. She laughed when the frog ate the moon then ran off. “Bye, New Moon!”

“See you tomorrow, Froggy.”

Uzzi wrinkled his nose. “Why won’t you do a handshake with me?”

“Because you’d forget what you were doing and slap yourself again.”

Uzzi’s face reddened. “That only happened once.”

Alex laughed, and Uzzi dropped the subject. The real reason Alex didn’t develop a handshake with Uzzi was because touching Uzzi was a lot different than touching Nenghi. Nenghi was loud and cheerful, sometimes silly, but she didn’t expect anything from Alex. She was just there to have fun. It was always just a game with her.

Touching Uzzi, though… It made Alex feel strange. Uzzi’s hot touch lingered on his skin long after Uzzi was gone. He thought about it when he was alone, thought about the way Uzzi’s fingers linked with his, even as he tried to pull away. He thought about the warmth that surrounded Uzzi, and how comfortable he felt around his friend. 

It made him feel like he was doing something wrong.

“Since Remi isn’t here, do you want to eat lunch with me?” asked Uzzi. 

“I shouldn’t. I should wait in my room.”

“Come on, Alex, you need to eat.”

“I don’t, actually,” he said. “A missed meal won’t kill me.”

Isa flew up beside Alex. “What are you guys talking about?”

“New Moon won’t eat lunch with me even though Remi isn’t here,” said Uzzi grumpily.

“Ah, you should totally come with us,” said Isa. “It’d be fun.”

“Us?” Alex asked.

Uzzi shrugged slightly. “Axe and I started having lunch together to talk about some of the relay stuff. Sometimes Blossom and Rainbow come by too, but they’ve been kind of weird lately.”

“Phrasa is teaching Mace more signs,” said Isa. “I think they work on that a lot.”

“Is that it?” said Uzzi. 

“What else would it be?” Isa nudged Alex. “So come eat with us. I want to hear your ideas for the relay, too.”

“I don’t have any,” Alex replied. “And Remi says I should wait in my room for him if we ever get separated.”

“We’re almost ten,” Isa said. “You can walk around the academy by yourself. Next year we don’t even have to check in with matrons anymore.”

Uzzi nodded. “And it’s not like you’ll really be alone. I’ll be there.” 

“I’ll be there too,” said Isa. “And you’re probably safer with me than you are with Inferno.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, you blunt axe?!”

“It means you’d probably run off at the first shiny object you saw, you fire-breathing snot fiend.”

“What’d you call me?!” 

Alex didn’t like them arguing, especially not when they were yelling at each other over his head. He stopped, crouched, and put his hands over his ears in the middle of the hallway. Other students moved around him, barely noticing him.

Uzzi and Isa stopped fighting and came back for him. “Sorry, Alex,” said Uzzi, crouching before him. “We won’t argue anymore.”

“You know I don’t mean it,” said Isa. “We’re just joking.”

“I’m going back to my room,” Alex said, peering up at them through the strands of hair that hung in front of his face. 

“Please don’t,” said Isa, holding out a hand. “I promise we won’t argue anymore. Come eat with us.”

“Yes. Please?” begged Uzzi.

Black eyes shifting between them, Alex worried over what he should do. Remi would look for him in his room first, because that was the rule, but his friends looked so hopeful. He didn’t want to disappoint them, and he really was hungry.

“Alright. I’ll have lunch with you, but no more yelling.”

“Yes!” Uzzi jumped up and cheered.

Alex took Isa’s hand, letting the boy pull him up. Isa’s strength always caught Alex off guard, and he ended up stumbling into the boy again, falling against him for a moment. He pushed back, but not before he caught Isa sniffing his hair. 

“Stop it,” Alex said.

“Can’t help it,” muttered Isa. “You smell good.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” said Uzzi. “First time I met him, I thought he was a girl.”

Alex scowled. “I am not a girl. If you two are going to talk like this the whole lunch, I’m leaving.”

“We won’t, Alex. Sorry,” said Isa quickly. 

“Yeah. Um… How about the relay? Which part do you think Blossom should fly?”

“She doesn’t turn easy, so the straight shot, where she can get up to speed,” replied Isa.

“See I was thinking the end, because we’re going to need the most speed then, and…”

The boys continued talking about the relay for the rest of lunch, and though Alex followed along, he didn’t offer much of his opinion unless they asked him. 

Close to the end of lunch, Remiel ran up, looking relieved. “There you are,” he said breathlessly. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Sorry, Remi. I was hungry,” said Alex.

“It’s fine, I was just worried. I got caught by the headmaster this morning. It’s actually good you boys are all here,” he said, talking to Uzzi and Isa, too. “I got your room assignments figured out for next year. The three of you will be sharing a dorm together.”

“What?”

“Really?!”

“Together?” Alex whispered.

Remiel gave him a quick smile. “You can’t stay in Imperial housing forever. It took some convincing, but Headmaster Iscriel is willing to let you room with Isa and Uzzi, rather than two randomly assigned students.”

Alex glanced over at his two friends. Sleeping in the same room as them? Was that even possible?

“This is going to be great!” Uzzi exclaimed. “My current roommates are jerks.”

“I call top bunk!” Isa shouted.

While the two of them argued over that, Remiel sat down beside Alex. “We’ve talked about this. It’ll be okay. I’m being moved back to standard dorms, too, so I know how you feel, but it’ll be okay.”

“You don’t get your own room anymore?” asked Alex.

“It was just while you were in Imperial housing, so I could be close. I don’t think it was supposed to last this long, but I’ve gotten used to it. It’s going to be difficult going back. We can adjust together. And whenever you need a break from that,” he said, motioning to the two boys arguing, “we can take a walk somewhere quiet.”

Alex bit his lip. “What about changing?”

“I know you’re shy now, but in a couple months, it won’t even bother you.”

Pouting, Alex said, “I don’t like this.”

“Me neither, Alex, but it’s the best I can do for you.” Remiel gave him a tight lipped smile. “Alright, finish up lunch and I’ll walk you to class.” 

“Yes, Remi,” replied Alex dejectedly, quietly doing as he was told.


	66. Gabriel: 19th Degree of Saviors, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel speaks with his ancient prophecy instructor in the morning, then has a meeting with his perverse math instructor in the afternoon.   
> ((non-con chapter warnings apply))

“Instructor, what do you know of the most recent prophecy?”

Ivoniel continued stirring her tea as she looked over at Gabriel. “The newest one? The one received a couple years ago?”

“Yes, that one,” said Gabriel. He sat with her in her classroom early in the morning, long before class started, having breakfast and tea with her as he had done often over the past few months. They got along well, and both enjoyed the casual discussions they had about the old prophecies.

“I don’t know much about that, Gabriel. It’s new. The Isten are still debating it, and until it comes to pass, it’s not released to the public. Especially here in E’din. There’s too much at stake for an poorly interpreted prophecy.”

“So… you’re not curious?”

“Of course I am. But the Isten keep secrets for a reason.”

“It seems like they should ask you to interpret the prophecy. I bet you know more about it than anyone else in E’din,” said Gabriel.

The Terran woman smiled at him. “That’s sweet of you to say, Gabriel, but the Isten have been around thousands of years. I’m sure they know better than I what the words of a prophecy mean.”

“The Isten could be wrong.”

Ivoniel placed her hand to her chest and closed her eyes like she was in pain. “Oh, don’t say things like that here. The Isten are our protectors, and we are loyal to them.”

“Sorry, Instructor,” said Gabriel. He knew the woman revered the ancients, as many Terran did. She viewed talk against them as blasphemous, so Gabriel had to be careful around her. He liked her. She was calm and intelligent, and always gave him a perfect score on every test. He didn’t need to offend her unnecessarily.

They drank tea and nibbled on the hard biscuits and fruit they shared for breakfast. Even silence was easy with the Terran woman. If they were closer in age, maybe Gabriel would have considered her his friend.

“Lately,” Ivoniel began, then stopped. She licked her lips and tried again, her voice soft. “Lately, Gabriel, I’ve noticed a change in you. There is power in words, in tone and phrase, but there is power in silence, too. I am worried about you.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he said, and he could feel the lie slither across his tongue. He tried again, adjusting his tone and his pacing. “There is nothing wrong.” It sounded honest. It sounded true.

“Gabriel, I am over a hundred and fifty years old. I know it’s difficult, but if something is bothering you, you can talk me. You can trust me. I’ll help you.”

The intention behind her words was pure, but there was nothing she could do on her own to help him. She was a docile Terran whose power lay in being able to understand the stories of generations past. She couldn’t help him. No one could.

“It’s just problem with a girl,” said Gabriel. “I’m thinking of breaking up with her.”

With a small smile, Ivoniel said, “You are young. Relationships are difficult, but you will recover.”

“I know, Instructor. Thank you.” He returned her smile, then ate more fruit. He knew she didn’t accept dating issues as his real excuse, but she didn’t press him further. Ivoniel understood his need for privacy, and he was appreciative of that.

When the platter was nearly clear, Gabriel said, “Instructor, if you had a chance to interpret the new prophecy here, in secret, before the Isten release it, would you?”

Her eyes lit up with thinly veiled interest. “They keep it secret for a reason, Gabriel.”

He looked down at his teacup. “I feel like I can trust you,” he said, making his voice sound sincere. What he could trust was her devotion to the Isten. “I heard something… My father… Well, I can’t get it out of my head.” Half-truths came out smoother than lies. He let her make the assumptions. He didn’t mention Alex.

“You know the prophecy?” she whispered.

He nodded. “I only heard it once, but…”

“The words of the oracles tend to stick in the soul, returning in unpredictable ways. If you have heard it, you know it.” Her wings quivered with curiosity.

“Can I share it with you?” he asked. “I have questions, and maybe…”

“I shouldn’t,” Ivoniel gasped. “It’s not right.” She wanted to know. Gabriel could see it as plain as if it were scrawled across her face.

“Please? I don’t have anyone else to talk to.” He pouted a little, like his little brother would.

Her resistance melted away. “Oh… Alright. Tell me, Gabriel. I swear, I won’t ever speak of it to anyone.”

“Do you want me to write it down?” She hesitated, then nodded and got a piece of parchment from her desk. Gabriel wrote the prophecy down, the words flowing easily across the page.

 

> _The fate of the faded rests_  
>  _alone on the crushing shores_  
>  _Count your sands, Dengir, fall upon us_  
>  _Beckon through the void_
> 
> _So it comes, the savior,_  
>  _the stag who bleeds for the hallow_  
>  _A vessel rewritten makes shattered bone bonds_  
>  _Haste alone will repair our doom_
> 
> _From the sky we shall fall_  
>  _Upon the green stone as one_  
>  _A brilliant retribution sought_  
>  _Will turn rust into water_

 

Gabriel slid the parchment to her, watching her lips as she read the words. She read it again, and froze. She saw it too.

“You shouldn’t have shown this to me,” she whispered. “Words are powerful, Gabriel. Especially these words, words that haven’t come to pass.

“You’ll keep it a secret, though, won’t you?”

“Of course, but… The Isten. They have to know already. They have to be doing something. They may even be able to figure out who the message is intended for.” Ivoniel read the words one more time, then pressed the paper against her palm and lit it on fire. The edges curled in slowly, smoke rising from her hand.

“They probably are, if they interpreted it the same way. Maybe they can avoid it and use the prophecy as a warning.”

Ivoniel brushed the pile of ash off her hands. “Gabriel, in all the stories I’ve shared with you, have any of the warning prophecies ever served to stop the coming catastrophe?”

“No, Instructor.”

“That’s because they never have. Hope blinds people. They will see promise in this prophecy, and only when it is too late will they discover the true meaning.” She shook her head. “I only pray a doom spoken of so clearly will not destroy us all.”

 

***

_Come see me after class_ , said the note scrawled in red ink across the top of his returned math test. Gabriel scowled down at it, wanting nothing more than to rip it in half.

“Aw, I missed one,” said Ori, pouting at her page. “What did you get for twelve, Gabriel?”

He folded his paper in half and shoved it into his book. “I missed it too.” He hadn’t. The answer was correct. All of them should have been correct.

“We should complain,” said Ori. “Let’s talk to Tassin after class, get him to explain the answer.”

“It’s just one test, Ori,” he said, annoyed with her persistence. “Don’t make a big deal out of one question.”

“Hmm… I suppose you’re right. Oh, that reminds me, do you want to come over tonight?”

“Over where?”

“My room,” she answered, as if it had been obvious. “Sera is going out of town with the Hunt for the second winter game, to support her boyfriend, so they canceled the study group for the weekend.”

“They did? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“I’m telling you,” said Ori. “Who else would you talk to?”

“And you waited until now to say something.”

“Well, we didn’t have any other plans for this weekend,” she said. “I didn’t think you would mind if we had our own study group, just you and me. In my room.”

Gabriel hated the assumptions she made about him. He agreed anyway, because he didn’t have other plans. Erem was leaving to watch the Hunt this weekend, too. It was either sit in his room alone or find someone to study with. He hated being with his thoughts when he was alone, so he chose Ori.

“I’ll meet you after dinner,” said Gabriel. He didn’t say anything else, because Tassin took to the center of the room and began teaching the next lesson.

 

***

When all the classes were over for the day, Gabriel walked back to Instructor Tassin’s room. He felt like he was walking to his death. His wings remained open at his back, too tense to fold properly. He stopped outside the closed door, taking a few deep breaths, preparing himself for what was to come.

Maybe it wouldn’t be like last time. Maybe they would just talk.

Lying to other people was a lot easier than lying to himself.

Gabriel pushed open the door and went in. “Instructor, you wanted to see me?” he said. He closed the door behind him, ensuring it was latched.

“Come in. Sit down. I’m finishing grading the tests for the AC Statistics class. Most of them are dumber than you.”

Irritated, but holding his tongue, Gabriel walked across the room to take a seat at the desk before Tassin.

“Gabe?” called Tassin, just before he sat.

Gabriel’s eye twitched. “Yes, sir?”

“This is going to take me a while. Why don’t you take off your clothes and sit on the desk while you wait for me.”

“Sir, do I have to?”

“No, of course you don’t. But your performance this month has been less than stellar, especially your classroom participation. Besides, I figure someone like you would jump at the chance to earn some extra credit, especially seeing as how final grades go out next month.”

_Final grades_. Gabriel groaned. It was almost the end of the year. He wasn’t even thinking that far ahead. Dropping the obedient act, he said, “If I do this, you pass me with a perfect score, got it, Tassin? And you still aren’t allowed to touch me.”

The instructor chuckled. “Ahnnak Gabriel, I would never dream of touching you without your permission. But I think what you do today will only be sufficient to boost your grades this month.”

“You’re a sick bastard, you know that?”

“Watch your mouth, Gabe, or I’ll find a better use for it. Now, up on that table.”

“Yes, sir,” he grumbled, angrily taking off his clothes. The rules of Tassin’s game were simple. Do as he was told, pass the class. The fact that he was being told to do humiliating things shouldn’t matter. No one was touching him. No one was hurting him. It should be easy.

It wasn’t.

Gabriel’s hands shook the entire time he undressed himself before the man. He folded his clothes and placed them on the edge of the desk before he hopped up and sat in the middle. The sealed wood has cold beneath his bare skin. He pressed his legs together and lay his hands across his lap.

Tassin permitted him to sit that way for a moment while he continued to score tests, but eventually he said, “Spread your legs, Gabe. No, wider.”

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel said, shivering as he obeyed.

While he worked, Tassin made Gabriel sit there, fully exposed. He told him to touch himself. He made disparaging remarks as he ordered Gabriel go slow, drawing the torment and humiliation out for an tortuous amount of time.

Breathing faster, in panting gasps, Gabriel’s belly clenched. He was close. Just a few more-

“Stop touching yourself,” Tassin commanded. “Hands on the desk.”

Gabriel listened, but his body throbbed, straining for just a little more contact. “Sir? I-I’m so close…”

“You want to come, you beg me to come in my mouth.”

Gabriel stared at the Homm, horrified. “Sir, I’m not doing that,” he said.

“Then get out.”

“Wait, like this?”

“You can get dressed. Not that those flimsy silks will do much to hide the state you’re in, Gabe.” Tassin smirked.

Gabriel wasn’t about to let the Homm touch him. But… “And my grades?”

A twisted grin pulled at Tassin’s mouth. “I keep my word. I’ll see you privately next month, won’t I, Gabe?”

Gabriel’s pounding heart felt like it was in his stomach as he said, “Yes, sir.” He got dressed and left the room, ignoring the sick lust in Tassin’s gaze the entire time.

The Homm was right. No matter how he adjusted his clothes, he couldn’t hide himself. He carried his books before him, but the feel of the silk fabric of his pants rubbing against his sensitive skin kept him hard. He debated whether he should just duck into a public bathroom and finish, but when he started to go in, he heard the excited chatter of a couple boys discussing the upcoming Hunt. Gabriel couldn’t face anyone like this. His only hope was to get back to his dorm.

He almost made it to the foyer, where he could launch out into the gap and dive down to his room, when he heard a voice calling his name.

“Gabriel! Wait up, Gabriel!” It was Ori. She cut off his path to the arch.

“Ori, I’ve gotta go-”

“Don’t be silly, we were just heading down to dinner. You can join us.” Ori smiled, deep dimples appearing in her pink cheeks. Po and the twins, Juniel and Joniel, were there with her.

“I’d rather not,” Gabriel said, standing uncomfortably before them. “I’m not really hungry.”

“It’ll be fine,” insisted Ori. “Even Ahnnak have to eat dinner, Gabriel. Then after, we can come back up to my room together to study.”

“Study, sure,” one of the twins said. Her sister giggled.

“Aren’t you two going with the Hunt?” he asked, hoping a change of subject would give him time to get his body under control.

One said, “I wanted to, but…”

“There wasn’t enough room,” the other finished.

“But aren’t you dating a Huntsman, Joniel?” asked Po, turning to one of the twins.

Joniel raised her wings in a shrug. “Maybe? He took me to the Descendants Festival, but that was because Sera set us up. He didn’t have a date. He was really sweet, too, but I haven’t heard from him since.”

“I went with his friend,” said the other twin. “He wasn’t even a Huntsman, and he definitely wasn’t sweet. I don’t know why he was there at all.”

“Because you didn’t have a date, either,” said Joniel.

Juniel frowned at her. “So I just get the leftovers?”

“Well, I am prettier than you.”

“We have the same face!” Juniel yelled back.

“The festival… You were with Barach and Erem, weren’t you?” said Gabriel, remembering that night.

Ori curled her arm through his. “Oh yeah, those two are your friends. I nearly forgot,” she said.

“Yeah, we were there when you two… _fought_ ,” said a twin, motioning between Gabriel and Ori.

“It was just a little lovers quarrel,” said Ori, leaning over to kiss Gabriel’s cheek. “We got it worked out. Next year, we’re all going to go together.” She tapped Gabriel’s nose. “You, me, and your adorable baby brother.” She smiled and cuddled against him.

Gabriel was no longer worried about his pants being too thin. He was completely soft again. “Yeah, next year,” he agreed, lying through his teeth. There was no chance of that ever happening. “How about we go to dinner now?” The girls agreed, and they went down together.

 

***

After dinner with Po and the twins, Gabriel and Ori returned to her room in the advanced class dormitories. It was small, with just enough space for a desk beside the bed, but she didn’t have to share it with anyone.

“You can sit your books on the desk,” Ori said.

“Do you mind if I take the bench?” Gabriel asked while placing his books down. It looked like it was either there or her bed, and he did not feel comfortable sitting on Ori’s bed.

“I don’t mind,” she said, smoothing her skirts beneath her as she sat on her bed near the desk.

“So the classwork today…” began Gabriel, taking a seat and opening his book.

Ori’s fingers touched his arm. “I don’t really want to study, Gabriel.”

He didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes locked on the page. “Ori, passing this class is important to me.”

“But you’re already doing so well.” Her fingers slid down his arm. “I mean, you’re so smart for being so young. It’s easy to forget you’re two years younger than me. You’re incredible, Gabriel.”

“Stop.” He shook her hand off his arm. “Listen, Ori, I can’t do this with you. I have too much on my mind-”

“A little distraction is good for you. Let me help.” He watched as the girl slid off her bed and fell to her knees before him. Her fingers passed over the silk covering his thighs, and his body throbbed in response to her light touch. He was still on edge after what happened earlier.

“Ori, don’t,” he said. “I want to work on this assignment.”

She looked up at him, her face over his lap, her fingers touching the waist of his pants. “I could do it for you,” she suggested.

He blinked, looking down at her. “What?”

“Your assignment. I’m good at math. I could easily just do yours, too. I don’t mind. I just want to spend time with you. Alone. Like this.” She leaned down, pressing her lips to his stiffening member beneath the silk pants. Gabriel could feel Ori’s hot breath through the fabric, and his body responded eagerly.

She smiled up at him shyly. Her fingers worked his pants looser, pulling them down over his hips to reveal his growing erection. Ori took him into her mouth.

It felt strange. She was warm, wet, and eager to please him. She touched him like she would do anything to please him.

Gabriel watched with ice-blue eyes, feeling cold and detached. He should be enjoying this, enjoying the way her tongue curled around him, but he wasn’t. The sensation was there, the pleasure spreading through him, but there was no connection.

The only thing he thought as he watched her was, _I can use her._

This plain Terran girl, who no one had hardly looked at before, was there with him because she liked him. She liked the attention being with him got her. Why should he waste his time studying with her when she was so eager to do the work for him, do anything for him, if only he made her feel special?

“That feels good, Ori. You’re amazing,” he said to her. The happy noises she made while she sucked him were annoying, but it was enough. His young body, sensitive and inexperienced, didn’t need much coaxing before he shuddered and came, filling her mouth as she attempted to swallow him all.

She sat back on her heels, covering her mouth and coughing a bit. She looked up at him and smiled. “How was that? Do you feel more relaxed now?”

“I do,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her. “That felt really good. I’m so relaxed, I could almost fall asleep.”

She grinned. “You can take a nap on my bed if you want.” She hopped up and grabbed his arm, pulling him into her bed.

“But my assignment-” he protested.

“It’s okay. I told you I would do it. You just lay there and rest, Gabriel. Let me take care of you. That’s what girlfriends are for, isn’t it?” She leaned down and kissed him, then smiled with adoration as she stroked his hair. “I would do anything for you.”

“You’re so pretty, Ori,” he said. She glowed with happiness at the shallow compliment.

Gabriel had only intended on pretending to sleep, but as he lay there with his eyes closed, listening to her work on his assignment for him, he drifted off.

When he woke, Ori was over him, gently shaking his shoulder. “Gabriel? You’ll get in trouble if you stay in the room past curfew. Here’s your assignment. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Sure, Ori, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gathered his things and left her room, giving her a kiss before walking down the hall. When he got back to his dorm, he checked over the assignment, and was pleased to see it completed without any mistakes.

Maybe this would work out after all.


	67. Barachiel: 27th Degree of Saviors, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third game of the Wild Hunt is about to begin.

It was the third game of the Winter Hunt, halfway through the season, and tensions were high. The first game had been easy. Barach’s squad barely needed to leave the air before the game was over. Archridge won. 

The second game had not gone as smooth, and they placed last in the match. Lorcasiel blamed Barach. The whole team blamed Barach. But they were right. It had been his fault.

This third game, well, if they didn’t place first, the Archridge team lost any chance of reaching the championship game. Everyone knew it. There was a tense atmosphere as the team equipped their gear in the locker room.

Lorcasiel walked among them, checking straps and giving words of encouragement to individual members of the team. When he got to Barach, he smiled at him and grabbed the leather strap across his chest. 

“Are you going to fuck this up again?” he whispered, still smiling, appearing friendly to anyone out of earshot. “Say so now, and I’ll put Wels back in, and drop you down to waterboy.”

“I didn’t sign up to kill things, Lorcas.” He glared at his captain. “You want to replace me, do it. But you know I’m better than him. You want to win? You keep me in, but you make sure the final blow isn’t my problem.”

Lorcas bared his teeth, snarling. He muttered, “Insubordinate little whelp,” then tightened Barach’s harness enough to hurt and patted his chest. “I’m going to kill you if we lose again.”

“You can try,” Barach replied, watching the captain walk away from him. The thing was, he wasn’t sure if Lorcas was serious, and after seeing the captain in action, he wasn’t sure if he could actually survive if Lorcas meant it. Still, Lorcas was just a Terran and Barach had his pride.

Pon-Pon walked over to him. “You get my back, mate?” she asked, turning around. She was a bruiser, like him, but Homm had different harnesses. He helped her tighten the straps across her flat back and sheathe the array of weapons they carried. He carried most of his at his hips, but all the Homm had the advantage of carrying them across their backs. 

“Don’t let the captain get to you,” she said, turning and patting his shoulder. “We all make mistakes.”

“Even you?” he asked. Pon-Pon was an anomaly. She was a sweet, kind-hearted girl off the field, a protective guardian on the field, and a raging fiend whenever her squad was in danger. Everyone loved her, and even Barach had grown fond of her, despite her being a Homm. 

Pon-Pon smiled at him. “Even me. The first game I played, we were against Highpoint, and one of their trackers got past me. Since he was just a skinny thing, I didn’t think it was a big deal, until he circled back and stabbed one of my weapons in the arm. If I had stopped him when I had the chance, it wouldn’t have happened, but it was a mistake I learned from. I think you learned, too.”

“I couldn’t kill it, Pon-Pon.”

“I know, Barach. As bruisers, we’re here to protect. It’s not often that burden falls to us, but when it does, you need to remember what’s important.”

“Saving the life of a beast?” he said.

She laughed. “Your team, Barach. The beasts are doomed, no matter who has the final blow. Your team is what matters, because they’re relying on you.”

Barach nodded and sighed. He knew that. He understood the stakes of the game. One beast, something ferocious and deadly, versus three teams, spread across an expansive forest. The game only ended when the beast was dead, and the winning team was often the team that killed it.

Each team participating in the Wild Hunt had sixteen players, divided into four squads. The four members of each squad were always a tracker, two weapons, and a bruiser. Barach was a bruiser, like Pon-Pon, Ku-Rei, and Dien. It was their job to protect their squads from the beast and the other teams in the Hunt. The other bruisers were all Homm, because the position called for a lot of muscle, and most Terran were too delicate and light to fill the spot. Because of that, Barach’s squad was the only one fully capable of flight. It opened them up to other dangers in the air, but allowed for greater mobility. It made his job more stressful, though.

Barach followed Pon-Pon over to Ku-Rei and Dien as they finished getting ready, then they went out to join the rest of the team in the pre-game waiting room. 

Zoldias ran up, throwing himself on Pon-Pon’s back as she emerged from the locker room. He kissed her cheek, hanging off her. “There’s my savior! Ready to keep me alive tonight?”

Pon-Pon laughed and patted his arm. “Don’t do anything stupid and you know I’ll watch your back.”

He slid down, grinning wide. Zoldias was the tracker on Pon-Pon’s squad. He had reddish-brown skin like Barach, and straight brown hair, which he tied back in a thick knot at the back of his head. He was a thin Homm, and he had little sense of smell, but he’d grown up in a forest to the north and could read the land like a book. 

Ku-Rei patted Barach’s shoulder. “Don’t hold back this time, kid,” he said, then wandered off to join Vice-Captain Cariel on the other side of the room. 

Barach scowled after him as Kanda walked up, touching Dien’s arm. “You alright today?” she asked him. Kanda was another Homm tracker, in the squad with Dien. Her skin was nearly black, except for three wide marks across her cheek and neck, which were paler scars leftover from a savanna pardua attack she survived as a child. Kanda could easily substitute as a weapon when needed, but she had spent her life tracking beasts, and she was good at it.

“I’ll be fine, Kanda, don’t worry about me,” said Dien. 

“You can’t keep blocking with your arm, Dien,” she said. “I have to worry. If it breaks again…”

“I know.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “But you know I won’t let anything happen to you. Focus on the game. We have to win.” He walked with her off to join the rest of their squad.

As a Homm, Dien had never fully healed after his arm broke. The healers had done their best, but it would always be a weak point for him. If it broke again, he’d be out of the Hunt. Barach tried not to feel guilty about that, but it had been his friend that broke the Homm’s arm in the first place. 

“You need to focus,” Pon-Pon told him. “Go find your squad. Don’t let them down.”

“Yeah, Pon-Pon. Thanks.” He waved to her and walked off, heading over to find his two weapons sparring together.

“Ombri. Hul.” 

Hul stopped, ducking once as Ombri gave one more kick to where his head should have been. “Rockiel,” he said, grinning, using the stupid nickname he’d given him. “Gonna freeze again tonight?”

Ombri spun in the air and threw a kick, his foot stopping just before it hit Barach’s face. Barach didn’t flinch. “Dude. Chill out,” said Ombri to Hul, lowering his leg and bouncing more. “New game. Move forward. Fight me.”

Hul waved him away. “I just want to know my back is being watched. I don’t want another enemy bruiser throwing me into a tree before I can kill the fucking beast.”

“I apologized for that already,” said Barach. “I had a weapon and a tracker on me. I took out the bruiser as soon as I could.”

“And then you let the other weapon walk up and kill the beast,” said Hul, crossing his arms and scowling. “We could have won.”

Ombri flicked Hul’s ear. “It’s past. Drop it.”

Hul covered his ear and glared at Ombri. “You wanna fight?” he demanded.

“I do,” the bouncing Terran said. Barach smiled a little. Ombri and Hul were always like this. Ombri was short of words, but quick on his feet. Hul was rude and obnoxious, but when it came down to it, fiercely loyal. The biggest problem Barach had with them was that they were Lorcasiel’s closest friends, and had been among his gang every time Lorcas went after Gabriel. 

“Ah, there’s our tracker,” said Hul, raising a hand as Lorcas walked up. “How’s the team look?”

“Better than you. What’s up with your shirt?” Lorcas reached over and tugged at the cut sleeves on Hul’s top. The edges were frayed. 

“It’s hot down here. Sleeves just get in the way,” said Hul.

“It’s a regulation uniform, not something you can just rip up,” said Lorcas.

“If anyone asks, I’ll tell them I got caught on a tree coming out of the start,” said Hul. 

Lorcas shook his head, but said, “Game starts in an hour. We’re heading to starting positions as soon as I’m done.”

“Yes, Captain,” said Ombri, snapping a sharp salute, though his crooked grin ruined the effect some. 

Lorcas rolled his eyes and walked up to address the whole team. Everyone quieted as he stood there, looking out with serious grey eyes. 

“Our chances at the championship ride on this game. The expectations of our families, our friends, the academy. Everyone is looking to us to win.” Lorcas scanned the group. Everyone was watching him, focused on his words. “But that doesn’t matter. Who cares what they think? We’re not doing this for them. This is _our game_. Our win. We’ll take it for ourselves, because that’s who we are. We are the Wild Hunt, and we will not bow down before the whims or expectations of anyone. We are here to win, but we will win for each other!”

The gathered team cheered. Even Barach felt drawn in by the captain’s words. 

Lorcas raised a hand until he had enough silence to speak. “That being said, I want you all to be extra alert tonight. The Kesapi Hunt suffered a severe loss to one of these beasts in an earlier game. From what I’ve heard, one of their weapons was ripped in half.”

Concerned murmuring went through the Hunt. “Is he dead?” asked Tek, one of the weapons on Dien’s team. 

Lorcas hesitated a moment, then nodded. “He’s dead. I don’t want that to happen to any of you. Stay focused and stay together. If you sense danger, send up a call, even if it’ll draw the other teams to you.”

“Do you know what it is yet?” asked Kanda. She touched the scars on her cheek. 

“I know it’s big. It’s strong enough to rip a Terran in half. We won’t know what it is until we face it, but… I think we need to be prepared for a fiend,” he said. Everyone started talking at once.

Vice-Captain Cariel stepped forward, silencing everyone while glaring at Lorcas. “What Captain means to say is that this beast may be stronger than what we’ve faced this season so far, but it is nothing we can’t handle. Archridge has been the champions of the Wild Hunt for nine seasons now. Rookie mistakes are the only thing that can stop us,” she said, looking over at Barach as half the Hunt chuckled. He raised a hand and bowed his head, accepting the barb gracefully. Cariel smirked and turned back to address the rest of the Hunt. “Our rookie may be dumb as an auroch, but I guarantee he hits as hard as one, too. The other teams are going to underestimate us, but we’re going to show them that even our rookies are better than anything they’ve got!”

Everyone cheered again, and Lorcas called, “Let’s get this game started! Squads, take your starting positions!” 

“Yes, Captian!” came the uniform cheer. The squads dispersed, though Barach stayed with Lorcas while he talked with Cariel. 

“You shouldn’t have said that,” she hissed, poking his chest.

“Which part?” he grumbled, looking over her head at where her squad waited by the far wall.

“About the fiend,” she said angrily.

Lorcas turned his grey eyes to her. “I don’t want anyone dying tonight,” he said. “This game isn’t worth their lives.”

“This game is worth everything,” she snapped. “If we lose because they’re too scared to fight, it’ll be your fault.”

“If anyone on this team is too scared to fight, we deserve to lose,” he replied. “Go on. We’ll be docked if you’re late getting into position.”

Cariel scowled at him and stomped off to join her squad. Lorcasiel turned to Barach, Ombri, and Hul. “Well, let’s get this party started, boys. We’ve got a game to win.”

***

Barach stood at Lorcas’ back, Ombri at his left, Hul at his right. He could see the two other aerial teams along the edge of the cliff at their right. They were playing against Everstone and White Feather tonight. The bruiser on White Feather looked over at Barach and drew a line across his neck, then pointed at Lorcas. Barach huffed. Yeah, the big Terran could try. Lorcas was a mean bastard in a fight, and rarely needed Barach’s help, but he would let that bruiser discover that on his own, if he was stupid enough to try anything.

A firework shot into the sky, bursting into green sparks. The net of floating orbs flickered to life, monitoring everything around them. The Everstone and White Feather teams dived off the cliff, racing out over the forest in search of the beast while the orbs relayed their movements to the spectators tuned in across E’din.

“Why aren’t we going?” Hul whispered. His wings were tense, one downbeat away from propelling him into the air. 

_Quiet_ , commanded Lorcas, signing with his hand. His eyes scanned the treetops. _There. North side. Alert Titan’s squad._

Lorcas jumped off the cliff. Hul, Ombri, and Barach quickly followed. They stayed in close formation, heading east. Ombri released a shrill whistle, which was met by it’s response to the south. The team knew to head north. 

Barach kept watch, alert for any projectiles as they curved and dropped lower toward the trees. They had only started angling to fly north when a roar echoed through the jungle, making Barach’s blood run cold.

_What was that?!_ Hul signed frantically. 

It was unlike any beast Barach had ever heard before. He reached out and grabbed Lorcas and Hul, pulling them back just as a panicked Terran shot out of the trees before them. The Terran would have collided with them, and barely slowed as he flew past them. 

“What type of weapon runs away?” Hul grumbled. 

“A bad one,” said Ombri. 

Lorcas signed for them to be silent again, then they dropped beneath the trees. The four of them landed in the dirt, looking around cautiously. Ombri loaded his darts, prepared to tag the beast as soon as he saw it. It had to be close. Huge furrows were ripped through the bark of several trees in the area. 

Barach spun as he heard twigs snap behind them. Three Homm dropped from a tree, one of them clutching his bloody arm. They stared at Barach, like they expected him to attack them, but they were in no condition to fight.

“It left,” said one of the Homm.

Hul glanced at them. “Your weapon left too?”

“He’s getting help. We tagged it, but…”

“We’re out,” answered another Homm. “The rest of White Feather can take care of it. You guys should give up while you’ve got the chance.”

“Get out of here,” Lorcas hissed. “Before I find a way to make it look like the beast came back and finished you off.”

The three Homm slinked off, apparently taking Lorcas’ threat seriously. 

A sharp trill to the west of them cut through the air. It wasn’t one of their Huntsmen. It had to be Everstone or White Feather. Lorcas ducked low and started running toward the sound. If a team could tag and kill the beast this early in the game, they could win. Every tag was worth thirty points, but the kill was worth fifty. 

There was a scream, then a cry of alarm before Barach heard something coming toward them. Lorcas dove under an overhanging ledge, Ombri and Hul fitting in at his sides. Barach pressed them back, shielding them with his wings and body as another Hunt team raced by, flinging up dirt and rocks behind them. There was a barking roar, then the ground shook as the beast launched itself over the ledge after them. Barach could barely believe what he saw. 

When it passed, Ombri shoved by Barach and shot forward, blowing one of his darts into the thick black fur of the beast chasing after the other team. He pumped his fist in the air. “Yes! And tagged.”

“Don’t celebrate yet,” said Lorcas. I saw three other tags in that beast. We need to drive it toward Cariel or Duke.” With three other tags, if they were to kill it now without another Archridge team tagging it, they could still lose. 

Standing, Barach checked for any other danger to his squad. _Clear_ , he signed.

_Let’s go._

Lorcas led the way through the forest, running toward the sound of fighting whenever they heard it. Every time they passed a scene where one of the other teams intercepted the beast, Barach felt a little more apprehensive. Some of the spots were covered in a lot of blood. It didn’t smell like the beast’s blood, either. 

A chirp cut through the air. Cariel’s squad approached from the east. She reached Lorcas, her squad running up behind her. “We tagged it. It’s been wounded, but it looks like its been tagged several times by Everstone and White Feather.”

“Any word on Duke or Titan?”

“Duke is coming from the south. Titan got into a skirmish with the Everstone Hunt. He’s keeping them delayed, and if we can get another tag in this beast and kill it-”

“Watch out!” Barach yelled, springing forward and taking the captain and vice-captian down just as a huge black paw swung for them. 

The chittering sound the beast made as it eased back into the trees over their heads sounded strange, like… like laughter. 

It wasn’t a beast at all.

It was a fiend. 

“C-Come. P-Play.” Whispered words echoed through the trees. “B-Bite. Y-Your. F-Face.”

“It talks,” Ombri whispered, crouched low against the base of a tree. Hul was beside him, sword drawn, ready to lash out. Cariel’s team was crouched similarly on the other side, Ku-Rei holding them low as he looked up for the danger.

“Get off me, rookie,” complained Cariel, shoving Barach back.

Barach scanned overhead once more before sliding off them. The fiend had disappeared into the trees. The foliage was so thick, it was impossible to see.

“They expect us to kill a fiend?” Barach demanded. His heart was pounding. His wings shook against his back, terror unlike anything he had ever know creeping through him. “It’s a game, not war.”

“There’s no difference,” Lorcas said. “War is just a game played by those in power. We are amusement, Barach, and we always will be.” Lorcas reached out and grabbed Barach’s jaw, forcing him to look at him, rather than up to the trees where the creature waited. “They don’t care if we die, but I do. Focus. I need you right here with me, right now. I want my team alive at the end of this, and we’ll kill that fiend to make it happen. Understand?”

“Yes, Captain,” Barach answered, reassured by the Terran’s confidence. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been scared, but the hungry look in the fiend’s eyes terrified him.

Lorcas patted Barach’s cheek. “Stay alert. We’re going up. Cariel, take your team south. We’ll fly overhead, try to meet Duke. Lead it to us.”

“You think it’ll follow me?” she asked.

He nodded. “I do. Be careful.” Lorcas jumped into the air, shooting out through the trees. Ombri and Hul followed him, Barach close behind. As he passed through the thick branches, right before emerging into the open air, he thought he saw glowing eyes and sharp fangs smiling at him.

***

Cariel’s squad ran south, crashing through the forest without attempting to be silent. The trees above them shook, the fiend following close behind. 

White Feather heard them too, and their aerial team came swooping in, veering toward Barach’s squad in the air.

“Incoming!” Ombri shouted. 

Barach unsheathed his weapons, one in each hand. They were long, fat sticks made of hardened maple. Painful, but not life threatening. It wasn’t his job to kill anything, just protect. He spun forward, blocking their path. One of the White Feather weapons launched an arrow at him, and he caught it in the wood of his stick. In that split second of focus he needed to stop the arrow, their bruiser veered around, flying straight toward Lorcas like a rocket.

“Captain!” Barach yelled. “On your right!”

Lorcas folded his wings and dropped, letting the bruiser fly over him. When he changed course and came back, Lorcas met him head on. There was a short, one-sided scuffle in the air between them before the White Feather bruiser dropped, crashing down through the limbs of the trees to land on the forest floor.

Without their bruiser, the rest of the aerial squad was defenseless as Ombri launched projectiles and Hul charged at them with a sword. They scattered, shouting, “We yield!” 

“Get your mate before the beast does,” Lorcas called, then flew away from them. Barach wondered why Lorcas bothered. He watched their flank as they flew away, not entirely sure the other team wouldn’t still attack them if given an opening.

They sped over the forest, the dark leaves flashing in a blur beneath them. Without the moon overhead, everything in this forest would be pitch black. 

Ombri arched up, white wings spread wide as he passed through one of the conjured monitoring orbs. It phased out and phased back in, not obstructing his flight at all. The process allowed the conjuration crafter to see everything the orb saw, and they used that to relay a play-by-play analysis to the party up in the lodge. It was also recorded, written out in depth to be shared across the news network first thing in the morning. Everyone would know every detail of what happened here before first light.

If they killed the fiend before then.

Lorcas pointed at a Terran boy swaying in the treetops, waving. It was Tek, part of Duke’s group. They all dropped down through the trees, landing before Dien as his hand touched his baton.

“Oh, it’s just you, Captain,” said Dien, relieved. “White Feather was flying overhead not long ago.”

“We took care of them,” said Lorcas, patting Dien’s shoulder and moving past him to Duke. “You tag it yet?”

“No, Captain. We had an incident with Everstone. Kanda is tracking it now,” said Duke. Somehow, even running around in a forest, his clothes were still immaculate.

“It’s north, following Cariel this way.”

“You know what it is yet?” asked Duke. 

“Tag it, we kill it, then you can ask all the questions you want.” Lorcas looked back the way they came. “We need to move fast.”

“Fast it is. Kanda, give me a heading,” called Duke.

“North by north east, sir. Runners incoming. Beast sounds aerial.” Kanda frowned. “It flies?” 

“It’s moving through the branches,” Barach clarified for her. 

“It climbs. Good to know. Alright boys, we’ve got three minutes until arrival,” said Kanda. Duke started running in the direction she indicated. “Or I guess were could just chase after it.” She sighed and ran after him. The rest of their squad quickly caught up.

Barach was prepared to follow, but Lorcas grabbed his arm. “I need you for this, Barach. Don’t let me down. If you have to choose between the beast and us, choose us, or we’re all going to die.”

“Yes, Captain,” he said softly, really feeling the weight of the words. The last time, they’d been fighting an ursal. Thick fur, sharp teeth, and paws the size of Barach’s chest, but it had just been a beast. It fought and attacked because it was scared. 

This thing, what Barach had seen of it, wasn’t scared at all. It was having fun.

“Hul, take point. Ombri, as soon as its tagged by Duke, fill it with arrows. Barach, stay close to me.” 

“Yes, Captain,” they all answered, then followed Lorcas into battle.

***

“Tagged!” Duke shouted.

The scene was chaos. They had the fiend cornered, knocked out of the trees, backed up against the face of a sharp cliff. It stood on its hind legs like a Homm, thick bristled black fur covering it. Its eyes glowed in the shadows, its lips pulled back in a wide grin revealing rows of blood splattered teeth. 

“E-Eat. Y-Your. F-Face.” It chittered. Its fur vibrated, creating rattling bursts of an unnerving clatter throughout the surrounding forest. The noise didn’t matter anymore. A squad from Everstone and White Feather had each tried to face it, and though they’d been able to tag it, a single squad couldn’t defeat this fiend. They had each escaped with injuries, but alive. 

Cariel and her second weapon, Phquiel, kept the fiend from charging, spears lowered and wings spread. Ombri shot arrows into the dense black fur, but it barely registered the thin-tipped shafts. At least it was bleeding now. Kanda had sliced open its leg before it knocked her out. Dien pulled her out of harms way, settling her beside where Ku-Rei hid with the other tracker Giliel. 

Hul darted in, jabbing his sword into the fiend’s side. Barach shot in right after him, batons raised, blocking the swing of the fiend as it swiped, almost taking Hul’s wings off. The force of the hit knocked Barach into Hul, and he wrapped his arms around the Terran weapon as they tumbled across the ground, protecting him from injury. 

When Barach released Hul, the Terran jumped right back up, ready to charge back in. “Wait!” Barach called. “You can’t get that close.” Hul turned to him, bloodlust in his eyes, but he stayed back. Barach couldn’t keep chasing in after him. They’d been lucky that time.

Tek dropped down from behind the fiend, close to the stone cliff. Two long daggers glinted in the sparse moonlight just before he embedded them in the fiend’s back. It roared and twisted, trying to shake Tek off. The Terran was too close to the cliffs to fly away, so he just held on, tossed around like a rag doll as the fiend thrashed. 

“Dien!” Lorcas called. “Get him out of there!” 

The Homm sprinted forward, darting behind the fiend and jumping up the wall. He sprang off, grabbing Tek around his waist and spinning with him, rolling to safety out of the fiend’s range. 

The fiend sprang toward them, even though Cariel lunged and lodged the spear in its side. It clasped both fists together, raised over its head, and brought them down, ready to smash Dien and Tek like a bugs beneath a boulder. Dien shoved Tek out of the way, raised the batons, and blocked the hit enough to save them both, but the blow glanced off his arm. The sound of his bone breaking resonated through the clearing. 

“C-Crunchy. C-Crunchy,” the fiend tittered, lips pulled back in a wide grin.

“Barach! Now!” Lorcas commanded.

Barach charged forward, wings in tight and head lowered. He went straight for the fiend, slamming into its torso before it realized he was there. He knocked it back against the stone cliff, holding tight as it struggled against him. The rotten smell of its dense fur made him want to gag. The bristles jabbed at his skin, sharp and unyielding.

It was going to claw him up. It was going to grab his wings and rip him apart. He should leave it and run. Every instinct told him to escape, but he was following Lorcas’ orders. He had to trust the Captain’s plan.

As the fiend’s claws raised, reaching for Barach, several thuds hit the creatures arms, pinning it to the stone wall. It roared, its noxious breath pouring out in a wave of gas that Barach immediately recognized as flammable. He felt the stirring of energy within the fiend and realized, horrified, that it was conjuring fire. Barach grit his teeth and nullified that energy as fast as he could, pulling it into himself, so that when the fiend released the flame, it was only a brief burst, rather than the torrent that would have consumed that quarter of the forest. 

The gas the creature breathed still ignited, exploding in a fireball that singed Barach’s feathers. One of its arms ripped free of the wall, but Barach didn’t let go of his hold.

Lorcas shot in through the ball of fire, landing on the fiend’s chest over Barach’s head. With a yell, he drove a sword into the fiend’s neck, then twisted and sliced out, cutting out its throat. 

Blood gushed out, pouring down the front of the fiend and over Barach, hot and rancid. Lorcas grabbed Barach’s shoulder and pulled him back as the fiend clutched at its neck. 

As the blood bubbled from the wound, the fiend looked skyward and gurgled, “I-Iblis.” Its body fell slack, held up only by the spears and swords in its arm, pinning it to the stone wall. 

Barach found that his legs weren’t working as Lorcas dragged him away. Lorcas tossed him beside the other injured teammates waiting behind a tree. The captain stood over them, alert, but the danger had passed.

***

Three tags and a kill was enough to win any Wild Hunt match. Everstone had only gotten two tags, and White Feather had gotten all four, but they’d been unable to kill the creature. Their squads tried fighting it alone, and they hadn’t stood a chance. 

There were some serious injuries across all the teams, but not enough to interfere with the celebration that night. 

“Announcing the winners! The Archridge Wild Hunt!” 

The team walked into the ballroom to cheers and applause. A conjured display of lights above replayed their final battle in silent, flickering detail before a balcony full of finely dressed Terran and Ahnnak. Maybe there were even some Isten in the crowd, but Barach didn’t see them.

“Lorcas!” exclaimed Sera, running forward and throwing herself into his arms. He hugged her tight, holding his hand against the back of her lavender hair. “I though it was going to kill you,” she sobbed.

“Have a little faith in me, Sera,” he replied, but he didn’t let her go. 

Barach saw Erem waiting off to the side, watching with the same concern in his eyes, but he didn’t run to him. The Hunt gradually dispersed into the crowd of people waiting to congratulate them, and Barach casually approached Erem. He stopped before him, fighting the urge to take Erem into his arms. 

“Are you okay?” Erem whispered, looking up at him with yellow eyes brimming with tears. “I thought…”

“I’m okay.” Barach stood close enough to his side that he could take his hand, hidden between their bodies and their wings. Erem clung to him tightly. 

“What was that thing?” Erem asked. The display of the fight flickered above them, short bursts of static images, barely revealing the fiend. It could have been anything from those images.

“They told us it was a sandalwood ursal from the western continent,” he replied. That was the official response the Wild Hunt administration shared with the public. 

“What was it really?” Erem asked. 

“A fiend,” whispered Barach.

They pulled away from each other as Lorcas walked up with Sera. “You did good today, rookie. I told you, you follow my orders, and I’ll keep you safe.” He offered his hand. 

Barach clasped it, returning the firm squeeze Lorcas gave him. “Thanks, Captain.”

“It’s late,” said Lorcas. “No one would blame you for leaving early.” His grey eyes shifted to Erem. 

Barach swallowed hard. Did Lorcas know? “Thanks, Captain, but I think we’ll stick around. See if we can pick up some groupies for the night.” 

The corner of Lorcas’ mouth pulled back. “Do I need to make it an order?” 

_He knew. Shit._

“No, Captain,” replied Barach, his voice unsteady.

“Eremiel, I’m trusting you to take care of this rookie. He’s still in shock. Take him somewhere quiet.” Lorcas patted Erem’s shoulder. “Give him something real to focus on.” 

Lorcas winked at them, then wandered off with Sera hanging from his arm.

“We should stay,” Barach muttered, feeling uncomfortable with the knowledge that Lorcas knew about him and Erem. 

“You heard your captain,” said Erem stubbornly. “You’re in no state to remain at a party. Let’s get you out of here.”

Admittedly, as Erem led him out of the room, Barach did feel dazed. No one tried to stop them or question why they weren’t staying. They had a room in the lodge, which Erem led Barach to, because he probably wouldn’t have been able to find it on his own. 

As soon as the door shut and locked behind them, Erem wrapped himself around Barach, kissing him deeply. At the touch of his boyfriend’s blue skin, all Barach’s concerns vanished. He gabbed Erem and carried him to the bed, where he spent the rest of the night buried inside him, drowning himself in the warmth and comfort Erem brought him. 

It was almost enough to make Barach forget how close he had come to dying at the hands of that monstrous fiend.


	68. Remiel: 10th Degree of Wind, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remiel watches the flight class relay race before offering to take Alex shopping.

Remiel stood cheering at the side of the course as the kids completed their final lap through the relay race. Nenghi was up, weaving through the poles in quick shifts of direction. The Terran against her was faster, though, and pulled ahead. Remiel screamed and cheered her on, more caught up in their success than he thought he’d be. 

Nenghi burst from the last obstacle and passed the baton to Alex. It was the final stretch of the race. A short distance and a straight shot to the end. He gripped the baton tight and sped forward, his light body and quick wing beats sending him shooting past the boy in front of him. 

Alex kept up the frantic pace, flying faster, right up through the finish line. He landed, smiling, as his squad descended on him, screaming and cheering, tackling the little boy. Even as Alex wiggled out from under them, Remiel could tell he was happy. 

The rest of the racers finished, the relay completed. Remiel hopped over the barricade and flew up to Squad Veh. He wasn’t the only one who wanted to congratulate them. They were surrounded by chattering students patting their shoulders and telling them they’d done a good job. 

For a moment, Remiel lost sight of Alex, but then he felt the boy’s slim body press against his hip, hiding under his wing. The crowd was still too much for him, but he wasn’t panicking like he used to. 

“That was awesome,” Remiel told him. “I’m so proud of you.” 

Alex smiled up at him, his black eyes happy. “It was fun.”

“You want to go now?” asked Remiel.

“Please,” Alex said, holding tight to Remiel’s shirt.

Remiel waved to the rest of Squad Veh, but they barely noticed they were leaving. The team was too caught up in the celebration. Instructor Dardiel nodded to Remiel as he worked his way through the crowd of children, acknowledging that he was taking Alex with him.

Once they made it off the plateau and into the stairs, Remiel lifted his wing from around Alex. “You’re almost getting to big to hide under my wing like that.”

“No I’m not,” the boy said, stepping away now that it was quiet.

“Well, maybe not yet, but I swear, you’ve grown nearly a hand taller these last couple months. You used to fit under my elbow.” 

“I’ll duck next time,” he said. 

Remiel laughed. “That’s not my point. You’re growing, Alex, and I think we need to get you some new clothes.”

Alex looked down at his outfit. Leggings which once reached his ankles were nearly at his knees. His shirt barely hung passed his hip. “Maybe you’re right. Are we going shopping in Marut?”

“You want to see if your brother wants to come?”

“Yes, please. If that’s okay with you.”

“Sure. He seems like he hasn’t been as busy lately, and since Barach and Erem have been traveling with the Hunt every weekend, he probably has extra time. Plus, you can tell him how you did in the race.”

Alex’s wings fluttered excitedly before he pulled them in tight against his back. “Do you think he’ll be happy?”

“I’m sure he will.” Remiel smiled at his young charge, then led him back to his room to clean up before lunch and his afternoon class.

***

After classes ended for the day, Remiel and Alex went to Gabriel’s dorm room to see if they could find him there. Erem answered the door and invited them in.

“He’s not here yet. You can wait for him, but sometimes he doesn’t come by at all,” said the blue-skinned boy. “Alex, don’t you touch my mammoth.”

Alex pulled his hand away from the wooden figure and backed up. He sat on the bench and put his hands in his lap, pouting.

“Everything okay between you guys?” Remiel asked Erem. “I haven’t seen much of you around since Barach joined the Hunt.”

Erem shrugged. “Gabriel has been real distant lately, and kind of an asshole. He doesn’t give us much chance to hang out with him.”

“Well, he does have a girlfriend now,” said Remiel. “You boys are at that age-”

“Ugh, stop it. I don’t want to even think about that stupid girl.” Erem walked away and flopped down on his bed. “Why are you two looking for Gabriel anyway?”

“I need new clothes,” said Alex, swinging his legs.

“What’s wrong with the ones you’ve got?”

“They’re too small.”

Erem laughed. “Fiends, kid, you cover up more than my Terran grandma. You afraid someone’s going to see your skinny butt?” 

Alex looked down, pulling his wings in tight against his back. His grey nails tugged nervously at the edge of his tunic. 

“Don’t be mean to him, Erem,” said Remiel. “You know he’s shy.”

“He’s not shy, he’s just weird.” Erem lounged on his bed, folding his arms beneath his head. “I think he acts like that just so you and Gabriel baby him.”

“We don’t baby him.”

“Yeah, you do. He’s never going to grow up if you keep hovering around him.”

“It’s my job to keep him safe,” declared Remiel.

Erem scoffed. “It was your job to teach him to read and dress himself. My four year old sister is more mature than him, and she still wants to marry a shark.”

Remiel crossed his arms over his chest. “He gets hurt a lot.”

“He trips and falls. He’s probably doing it for attention. You know, Gabriel used to talk about finding the person who was hurting Alex. Like there was actually someone out there making Alex trip over his own feet.” Erem snorted. “Dumbest thing I ever heard.”

Remiel remembered the way Gabriel used to talk, too. When he’d get upset after Alex’s accidents, and blame Remiel for not watching, like he could have stopped it from happening. “Well… I’m sure Gabriel was just stressed. We all handle stress in different ways. You, for example, turn into a complete jerk.”

Glaring, Erem sat up. “Hey. At least I don’t shove metal through my ears like some fiend-taken Homm.”

Touching the gold rings in his ear, Remiel defensively said, “It’s fashion.”

“Yeah, for flat back, mud-dwellers. Your mom must be so proud.” 

For the first time in a long time, Remiel wanted to smack the obnoxious brat. He knew part of Erem’s attitude was his age, but the other part was just Erem. If he wasn’t with Gabriel or Barach, he was a rude little beast. It was like he didn’t care who he offended.

“You know what, we’ll wait for Gabriel somewhere else,” said Remiel, calling Alex to him. The boy hopped off the bench and walked over, letting Remiel guide him from the room. 

“Whatever,” Erem grumbled, laying down and closing his eyes. Remiel closed the door sharply behind him.

Alex was staring up at Remiel with expressionless black eyes, watching him as he shoved his hands back through his thick, curly hair. “What?” Remiel demanded, his tone a little harder than he meant it.

“I’m sorry,” the boy said quickly. He looked down the hall.

Remiel exhaled heavily. “Don’t be. I’m not upset with you.”

“I’m still sorry.” Alex caught sight of his brother walking down the hall and ran off. Gabriel greeted him with a smile, ruffling his hair, and listened attentively as Alex told him about the race.

***

Gabriel agreed to go up to Marut with Alex and Remiel. They wandered the market area, picked out new outfits, and got snacks. Remiel mostly just followed behind the boys as Gabriel and Alex looked at everything. Alex had a monthly allowance to buy necessities, but Gabriel handled all the money exchanges. Remiel tried not to feel envious at the ease of which Gabriel and Alex could purchase anything they wanted, but it was difficult at times.

“Can I have more?” Alex asked, tugging on his brother’s sleeve and pointing at the seared peppered roots. They were served on a stick, and Alex had already eaten two of them. 

“You don’t want something else? We can go to a restaurant,” said Gabriel. He looked at Remiel. “You mind?”

“A restaurant? I, um… don’t really have the extra for that today,” said Remiel, feeling slightly embarrassed. Academy meals were included in tuition. He could eat there for free, and besides the snacks he bought sometimes, he didn’t eat elsewhere.

“No problem. I’ll pay.” Gabriel shrugged it off like it wasn’t a big deal. For him, it probably wasn’t.

They walked by a big Homm on the street wearing a chain between his nose piercing and his ear. He leaned against a wall and sucked at his teeth, staring Remiel down as he passed. Nervously, Remiel paused before him. “I like your, um, chain,” he muttered, motioning to the piercings. The man grunted, but his lip twitched up in a quick smile. Remiel hurried on, running to catch up with Gabriel and Alex. 

Remiel touched his nose tentatively. Would a piercing there hurt more than his ear? He wanted to try it. A stud, maybe. Or a ring? The chain was too much, but-

“Hey, Remi, I said, ‘Where do you want to eat?’” demanded Gabriel, sounding irritated.

“What?” Remiel blinked at the silver-haired boy a couple times until he caught up with the conversation. “Oh. I don’t care. Wherever. Alex likes spicy food. Know someplace that does that?”

Gabriel thought for a moment. “Yeah, I think so. It’s just up this way.”

They arrived at the shop, which was basically a window to a kitchen. There was a line, so it was probably good. When it was their turn to order, Gabriel said, “I’ll take a regular. Alex, what do you want?”

“Peppers,” the boy whispered, trying to hide behind his brother.

“Give me your spiciest dish,” Gabriel told the worker.

The worker frowned. “For the little one?” he asked. “It’s really hot. He shouldn’t be eating stuff like that.”

“Just place the order, Homm,” Gabriel snapped.

The man huffed and marked it. “What else?”

Gabriel motioned to Remiel. “Whatever you want.”

“Just a regular for me, too, please,” he said, hoping he could come off as polite enough that it would make up for some of Gabriel’s attitude, and the chef wouldn’t spit in his food.

“Got it. Two regulars and a fire-breather.” The man rang them up and Gabriel paid. They waited off to the side until their meals were ready. They were each handed a bread bowl packed with sauced vegetables. Alex took his reverently, following his brother over to sit in the shade of a tree in a courtyard. 

“How am I supposed to eat this?” Remiel asked, looking at the messy food. Alex was already picking up the sauced chunks, stuffing them into his cheeks. He froze, looking at Remiel like he was going to be in trouble for using his fingers. Remiel smiled at him. “Yeah, I guess that works.”

The food was good, but it was messy eating it like that. The bread absorbed most the sauce, so at least it didn’t drip. 

“Hey, let me try a piece of yours,” Gabriel said, leaning over and opening his mouth. Alex carefully selected a piece of his food and fed it to his brother. 

Gabriel chewed it a bit, then his eyes widened. He breathed in through his mouth, and tried to chew it faster. He swallowed it quickly as his eyes started to water. “Whoa. That’s spicy. How can you eat that, Alex?”

Alex looked at him, black eyes swirling, and said, “I doesn’t taste like anything to me. I just like the way it smells.” 

“You don’t taste anything?”

Remiel sucked some of the sauce off his thumb and said, “I don’t think Alex can taste sweet things or spicy things, but with the sweet food, he doesn’t like the texture.”

“Is that so?” Gabriel tilted his head. “Has it always been like this?”

Alex shrugged, raising his fluffy white wings. “I guess,” he said. “Before I came here, I just ate what I was given.”

Gabriel tensed. The two of them didn’t talk about before Archridge often. “Do you think it was your… your illness?”

A cool breeze tugged at Alex’s hair, curling the black strands around his face. “My illness,” the little boy muttered, looking down at the bowl. “What do you think will happen if I get sick again, Brother?”

The question caught Gabriel off guard. Remiel, too. He had never thought Alex might worry about relapsing. As far as Remiel had heard, the Isten Jequn had been able to fully cure him. 

“Alex, you know I’m not going to let that happen,” said Gabriel. 

“But what if it does?”

“Then I’ll save you.” Gabriel grabbed Alex and pulled him close, bumping their heads together. “I’ll always save you, so stop worrying.”

“Yes, Brother,” Alex said, giving him a weak smile. 

The three boys finished off their meals and resumed shopping. 

***

By the time they were done shopping, Alex was exhausted. Gabriel offered to carry him, and the little boy didn’t even argue. He fell asleep against Gabriel’s shoulder, hanging limply in his arms.

“He’s getting heavier,” Gabriel complained, adjusting Alex’s weight again. 

“I’ll trade you,” Remiel offered, holding up the numerous bundles and packages they had purchased in the city.

“It’s fine,” Gabriel said quickly. “I don’t mind.”

They walked out of the city, choosing to cross the distance to Archridge on foot rather than fly. Remiel felt like Gabriel suggested it to avoid going back to the academy sooner than he had to. 

“Thanks for joining us tonight, Gabriel. Sorry you had to miss your study group,” he said, watching the silver-haired boy.

“It’s fine. I don’t need to be there all the time,” he said. “Classes are almost over, and most the instructors aren’t even assigning work anymore. Those that are… well, I’ve got it worked out.”

“Worked out?”

Gabriel shrugged, avoiding answering. “How about you? You get to choose your specialization yet?”

“Next year. I have one more year of core classes before I can sign up.”

“Still going into textiles?”

“Yes. That’s not going to change. I’d sign up earlier if they let me.”

“Alex told me you made that dress Sophie wore at the Descendants Festival. It wasn’t bad. You ever think about making clothes and selling them?”

“Maybe one day, but I don’t really have the time right now.” Remiel adjusted his grip on the packages.

“No?” asked Gabriel, glancing over at him.

“Not while taking care of Alex.”

“Oh, yeah.” They walked a little further before Gabriel said, “Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?”

“For being here. I don’t think I could have done this without your help.” 

Remiel smiled at the compliment. It was so rare to hear Gabriel say anything nice. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I got the chance to help. Alex is a good kid.” 

“He is… I would do anything to protect him,” said Gabriel. 

“You really care about him a lot, don’t you?” said Remiel. “I don’t think my older brother even remembers my name.”

Gabriel gave Remiel a pained smile. “He’s kind of all I’ve got.” He looked away, adjusting Alex again. “I’m going to fly ahead. He’s getting heavy.” He took off without another word. 

Left alone with the packages, Remiel took his time walking across the field to the academy. He wasn’t worried about Alex. Gabriel would take care of him. The silver-haired boy probably needed the time alone, too. 

Every once in a while, when Gabriel was with Alex, Remiel saw the cracks in his brash and confrontational facade. He saw hints of how distressed the boy was, like he was hiding some dark burden. Sometimes, he saw that same darkness in Alex. It was a heavy weight for the boys to bear, and he wished they would trust him enough to tell him.

Then again, maybe it was something Remiel didn’t really want to know. Everyone kept something secret for a reason. Even him.


	69. Barachiel: 17th Degree of Wind, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barach participates in the championship game of the Winter Hunt.

The Archridge Wild Hunt made it to the finals. They were the second ranked team for the season, just behind Highpoint. Valley Forge was third, but they hadn’t had any serious injuries during the season. All their primary players were still active, experienced, and ready for battle.

After the match with the fiend, Dien had been taken off the roster. The medics wouldn’t approve his return to the game, not until his arm had fully set and healed. That would take months, even with their assistance. Homm just couldn’t recover the same way everyone else could. 

Wels, who Barach had replaced on Lorcas’ squad, stepped in to take over Dien’s position as bruiser for Duke. Unfortunately, there was some animosity between Wels and Kanda, and that transfered into the fourth Hunt. Wels grabbed the Homm tracker, pulling her away from the entelodont just before she could sink her blade into its side. The beast, called a hell boar by the Hunt, had the mass and hooves of an auroch, but the huge, carnivorous jaws of a laughing krokuta. It spun away from Kanda and Wels, charging off into the thicket. 

“I could have killed it!” Kanda shouted in Wels’ face.

“You are a tracker, little girl. _Track it._ That is all you do.”

They yelled at each other a while more, until Duke separated them, but they’d already lost their lead on the beast. The rival teams were each able to get two more tags into the hell boar before the Archridge squads surrounded it again. Vice-Captain Cariel’s squad dispatched it quickly, and they were declared the winners of the fourth match.

Kanda and Wels hadn’t spoken to each other since, but it couldn’t be easy to protect someone while refusing to acknowledge their existence. Barach approached Lorcas after practice one day and suggested switching squads with Wels.

“No,” Lorcas stated firmly, barely looking up from where he crouched, lacing up his boot.

“What do you mean, ‘no’? It’s a good idea. Wels was on your squad before, and I can protect Duke’s squad. They all like me. It would be perfect.”

Lorcas finished tying his laces, then stood up. “I said no, Barach.”

“You’re not even considering it.”

“I don’t have to. I’m the captain, and you’re not switching with anyone.”

That had been the end of that conversation. Lorcas walked out of the locker room, going off to meet his girlfriend before dinner.

Barach still hated Lorcas, but he’d begrudgingly come to respect the Terran, as well. He was a good captain, and he took care of the team, even when he was hard on them. 

Gabriel seemed to have gotten over the fact that Barach was part of the Hunt, too. They didn’t see each other often, with Barach’s practices and Gabriel’s study groups, but when they did, Gabriel seemed fine. A little more distant that usual, but nothing too strange for the temperamental boy. He and Erem had a few arguments when Barach wasn’t around, but it didn’t sound like anything serious.

During the final game, the Hunt had to travel to the western mountains. None of the other students were allowed to come, since traveling there required the Hunt to leave during the last day of class that week. Skipping class was great, but traveling at the tedious pace of Homm was annoying. They arrived with a day of rest before the game. The beast they would fight in the championship game was kept top secret, but they were allowed to explore the forest that made up the arena. 

They had faced both Highpoint and Valley Forge once before this season. Highpoint had been the four tag team during the game Barach lost, due to his reluctance to kill the beast. They hadn’t won that game, because they didn’t get the kill either, but their score was still higher than Archridge, so they were ranked a point ahead of them. Archridge had faced Valley Forge in the first round, and no one seemed too concerned about them. They’d beaten them once with ease and they planned to do it again.

Before the game started, Ombri opened the pack of tags for the match. The tags were distributed right before the game, specialized to whatever creature they would be facing. Barbed hooks with the team colors, long for thick furred beasts, sharp when the hide was difficult to pierce. But these…

“Lorcas, look,” said Ombri, holding them out.

“Shit. Not one of these again.” Lorcas picked up the dainty, needle-thin sliver of metal. “Wrap it up. I’ll let the others know.” 

Ombri took the tag back and sealed it in his pouch.

As Lorcas walked around, talking with the other squads, Barach asked Ombri, “You’ve faced this beast before?”

“A fiend,” said Ombri. He held up his hands, about a cubit apart. “A little one.”

Barach frowned. “Why would they have us hunt a little fiend?”

Hul leaned on Barach’s shoulder. “Rockiel, being big isn’t the only way to be scary. This little fucker, the one we’re facing tonight, well… We’ve hunted one before. Actually, we hunt it all the time. See, the old captain, the one before Lorcas, had this great idea to use one of the Hunt creatures as active training. He didn’t want something too big, because, you know, they’re difficult to keep alive, so he got one of these.” Hul tapped Ombri’s case of tags.

“So what is it?” Barach asked.

“Zvikwambo. Think a Terran, but small and ugly, with sharp teeth that fill its little head. It flings elements around like snot. The old captain snuck one back to Archridge, then took the team out to the western forest and let it loose. Each weekend, they tracked it and captured it, tracked it an captured it, but after the fourth mock-Hunt, the fiend got clever. They released it, and it started hunting them. It killed the old captain and disabled half the team before disappearing into the woods. It’s still out there, you know.”

Barach frowned skeptically at the Terran. “Be serious, Hul. I’m not going to fall for another of your made up creatures again.”

“It’s not made up,” he insisted. 

“You expect me to believe you guys lost a fiend in the forest near Archridge, and it’s still wandering around?”

“I didn’t lose it. It was before my time,” said Hul, poking Barach’s side. “Lorcas was just a rookie like you when it happened. But yeah, it’s still out there. Zvik are nocturnal, so as long as you’re not in the forest past dark, you’re not likely to get hurt. Few times a year, we go do active training, try to track it down and kill it finally, but like I said, it’s clever.”

“So we’re going to be fighting one of these tonight,” said Barach. “One the whole team hasn’t been able to kill in years. Why don’t you look more worried?”

“Well, the one in the western forest is clever because it’s been alive long enough to learn. The ones the Hunt uses in games aren’t very bright. They’re all fangs and lightning bolts. So, you know, watch my back. I’m not looking forward to getting teeth in my wing.”

“I’ll be there, just don’t run off or do anything stupid.” 

Hul scoffed. “When have I ever done that?”

“Constantly,” said Ombri. “You’re dumb.”

Hul shoved him. “I take AC classes just like you. Don’t call me dumb.” Ombri shoved him back, easily goading Hul into sparring with him to warm up. 

While the Terran weapons fought each other, Barach watched Lorcas talk with the other commanders. They discussed tactics seriously while standing over the map of the arena. Lorcas traced a circle around the area, then pointed at a point on the map. All four of them turned and looked at Barach at once. 

The sudden attention made Barach’s wings tense. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried not to look as self-conscious as he felt. “What?”

“Tell you later,” said Lorcas, turning back to the map. 

That didn’t bode well at all.

***

The game started normally enough. A green explosive lit the sky and the monitoring orbs began transmission to the spectators in the nearby lodge. The championship Hunt commenced.

Lorcas led the squad high over the trees, where they remained for nearly an hour with no contact from the other squads. Barach hovered at his back, wary at being that high up for so long. They were exposed, easy targets for any of the rival teams. 

Hul appeared just as uneasy. He kept searching the treetops, hands nervously fidgeting with the weapons on his hip. “Captain-”

“Shut up.” Lorcas scanned the forest to the north and west like he was waiting for something. Hul sullenly hovered at his side, remaining silent. Ombri tapped Barach’s arm, then pointed to the east. When he looked, he saw a unfamiliar Terran dive back in the trees.

“Incoming,” Barach said, keeping his voice low and taking the batons from his hips.

“Take care of it, rookie,” Lorcas muttered, still searching the forest in the other directions.

Through the trees, Barach was able to make out the shapes of the rival team moving closer. He couldn’t tell if it was Highpoint or Valley Forge. They stayed on the ground, but when they got in range, one person started shooting thin arrows at them. Most of the arrows fell short, but Barach intercepted the few that reached them.

Ombri notched an arrow and fired back, aiming at the spot most the shots came from. “Missed,” he muttered, disappointed. Barach wasn’t sure how he could tell, since the trees were so thick, but he didn’t have the chance to dwell on it long. 

A couple Terran flew up from the trees directly beneath them, swords drawn. The arrows had served as a distraction to allow them to get into position.

“Ombri,” called Hul, drawing his sword.

“On it,” the other boy answered, unsheathing a sword as well.

In unison, the two Terran weapons folded their wings against their back and dropped, falling toward the attacking team. Barach started down after them, but another volley of arrows shot from the trees. He veered back up to block, protecting Lorcas as the captain continued to hover in the same spot, seemingly oblivious to the attack.

It was frustrating that the captain wasn’t moving, but Barach understood why. Lorcas trusted Barach to watch his back, just as he trusted the weapons to do their part. He chose to let them fulfill their roles so he could do his, even though Lorcas probably could have taken care of the enemy squad on his own. 

Barach knocked another arrow out of the air, then pulled a wooden dagger from his hip. Since the primary function of bruisers was defending against other teams, all his weapons were blunted. He felt no remorse as he threw the dagger toward the archer’s position, even as he heard the person it hit cry out. It might have stunned them, but was unlikely to do much worse. 

Ombri and Hul fought like a whirlwind, and the enemy squad retreated. They flew back up to Barach and Lorcas, a thin line of blood on Hul’s arm the only sign they’d been in a fight at all. 

“We’re clear,” said Ombri.

“They dropped their tags,” said Hul, grinning and holding out the Valley Forge pouch filled with the tiny tags for the match. 

Lorcas glanced over. “Have they been used?”

“No. Full set,” said Ombri, doing a quick inventory of the enemy tags as Hul held them out.

“Scatter them. Make sure they can’t find them.”

“You got it, Captain,” said Hul, dropping back toward the forest with the pouch. Barach stayed on guard while he was gone, half expecting another attack, but none came. 

Suddenly, Lorcas pointed. “There.” He gave a short whistle and Hul shot up through the trees to rejoin them. He no longer had the pouch. 

“Sighting?” asked Hul.

“North. Ombri, when we arrive, tag it and fall in with Cariel. Hul, join Titan. They’re going to need help keeping it off Drani.”

“Yes, Captain,” they both answered.

“Barach, stay with me.”

“You want the squad to split up?” asked Barach. 

Lorcas glared at him. “I want you to do as I tell you, Ahnnak. When we arrive, you stay with me. No matter what else happens, you stay with me.”

He frowned, but said, “Yes, Captain.”

“Alright, let’s go,” said Lorcas, and they flew north to join the rest of the team.

***

They landed near an empty clearing. Barach could see the rest of the Archridge Hunt standing near the edge of the trees, focused in on something he couldn’t see. 

Ombri blew a dart into the clearing, the sliver of metal glinting in the moonlight before it disappeared into the tall grass. Scowling, he loaded another, once more took aim at nothing, and shot. Ombri swore under his breath, then repeated the shot with similar results.

“I don’t see anything,” Barach whispered, searching the clearing.

“Shut up,” Lorcas growled. His eyes were fixed on a point in the grass, and when Barach followed his gaze, he finally saw it.

There wasn’t anything there, but it was a shifting of light and mismatched leaves. With another puff of air, Ombri launched a dart, and this time, it hit. A ripple went through the air as the thing squealed. 

“Tagged,” Ombri said triumphantly.

Lorcas sent out a sharp whistle, and the battle swung into action. Hul and Ombri split off in different directions as Lorcas turned to Barach.

“How much can you absorb?” he asked. 

“What?” Barach was distracted as Duke and Tek raced in to the clearing, blades flashing. The creature broke its camouflage, revealing a small, shriveled fiend with a bald head filled with pointed teeth and clouded eyes. One of the swords appeared to hit the zvikwambo, but the blade kept going, passing through the creature as if it wasn’t there. “What?!” Barach repeated.

Lorcas grabbed his face hard, forcing him to look at him. “Pay attention. How much energy can you absorb?”

“I d-don’t know. Some. I don’t really absorb it, I just siphon it off,” Barach said. He tilted his face back, pulling it out of Lorcas’ grip. “It only works if I touch the caster or the element, and I can’t block thrown spells. You saw that in practice.”

“I know what I’ve seen. That’s not what I’m asking, Barach. This thing can only be hurt by conjured energy. We have to hit it with a bolt of power strong enough to stun it, then we can kill it with a blade. The problem is, the zvik is drawn in by energy. It’ll attack someone as soon as they start to cast. That’s why I need you.”

“For what?” Barach asked. “Why don’t you ask Drani? I can’t control energy well enough to hit a target.” Over Lorcas’ shoulder, the creature sped across the field, teeth gnashing, trying to get to one side, like it was trying to escape. Titan and Hul rushed forward, knocking it back into the clearing, where Cariel and Tek intercepted it again.

“Drani has other orders. And you don’t have to hit anything. Just hold as much energy in as you can, for as long as you can. Do you think you can do that?”

“Just hold it?” Barach asked. His eyes flicked back to the field, where the vicious fiend hurled a ball of fire at Duke. It burnt his shirtsleeve, and he ripped the fabric off, scowling about his singed outfit. 

“Just hold it,” Lorcas confirmed. “I’m going to charge you up, and you just have to hold the extra energy and walk out into the field. That’s all. Can you do it?”

Barach wasn’t sure he could, but he said, “I’ll try.”

“I knew I could rely on you, rookie. Wels, you ready?” 

“Yes, Captain,” said the Terran, stepping out of the trees. Barach hadn’t even realized he was there. Wels walked forward with a disturbing smile.

“Wait-” said Barach, having sudden doubts about the plan.

“I can’t charge you enough myself, Barach. We don’t have the time. Just focus, and try to hold it in. This might hurt a bit.” Lorcas reached out and touched Barach’s right shoulder as Wels touched his left. The young Ahnnak had a moment of panic before he felt electricity pour into him. He responded automatically to the pain of the shock, nullifying the energy. 

At first, he thought he was absorbing and dispersing it like usual, weakening the flow of power to a nearly harmless level. But the Terran didn’t let up. More energy poured from them, and Barach could feel it converting and filling him, spreading through his body. 

“S-Stop,” he whispered, but he couldn’t pull away.

“Just a little more,” said Lorcas. “You’re doing good. Keep it all in. We’re almost done.”

He was lying. The energy invaded every cell of Barach’s body. If he tried to stop absorbing the energy, the continuous flow of electricity from both older Terran boys jolted through him, making it difficult to see or think. Absorbing the energy felt like gasping for air while drowning, except it was making him sink faster. He couldn’t take much more. It started seeping from his fingertips in bursts of electric crackles of flame and ice. 

Wels pulled his hand away first, swaying slightly. He stepped back and touched a tree for balance. Lorcas gradually decreased his current until he cut it off all together. “Alright, Barach. Good job. You’re doing great. Hold it in. Just walk out there now. Just stand there and it’ll come to you. We’ll be right behind you.” 

The energy throbbed within Barach like it wanted to explode from his skin, but he held it in. _This was insane._ Why was he doing this? Lorcas urged Barach forward, and the Ahnnak somehow stumbled into the clearing, feeling like he was going to throw up cold, slushed fire. 

As soon as Barach emerged from the trees, Cariel and Duke diverted the fiend toward him. It caught scent of him within seconds, the milky eyes focusing on him with hunger. 

The Vice-Captain and Air Commander fell back, allowing the creature to charge Barach on its own. It threw fire at him, and he dodged, but just barely. He raised his hand, spiraling arcs of exploding ice shooting from his fingers. The creature bounced around the attack, moving too fast to be hit. It launched at him, sticking to his chest with putrid teeth in his face. Arms flailing, Barach toppled, landing on his wings and back in the dirt.

“Get it off!” he yelled, swiping at it in a panic. He couldn’t grab it. His hands passed through its incorporeal form, and no one was near to help. 

Why was no one near to help!?

Barach felt the zvik’s fingers dig into his chest, then all at once, the fiend electrified itself, like a zapping ball of light adhered to his chest. Barach felt his heart skip a beat before he started absorbing and nullifying the fiend’s energy, just as he had done with the other Huntsmen. He couldn’t take anymore. It leaked out his fingertips, converted into fluctuating elements as fast as he absorbed it. 

The zvik appeared ravenous. It backed up, shredding the leather harness and fabric that protected Barach’s torso as it moved. It kept ripping until it revealed the soft skin of his belly. Barach couldn’t do anything to get it off him. He felt like he was trapped beneath the weight of all the power inside him. The zvik exposed his skin, then the sharp and tiny fingers started digging into his belly. 

Digging through his belly. 

_Oh, Isten, it’s ripping me open_ , thought Barach, horrified as he felt the zvik’s hands reaching into his gut. For the second time in his life, he was helpless to watch as his intestine was pulled from his body. The fiend pulled it out and moved it aside like it was searching for something. The pain barely registered through the shock.

Suddenly, a beam of blue light hit the fiend, seizing it mid motion. Drani, the Terran weapon on the squad with Titan and Pon-Pon, held the stream affixed to the vicious zvikwambo for as long as he could. Cariel appeared just before the light cut out, grabbing the stunned fiend, wedging her fingers into its mouth, and pulling. She ripped its head in half with her bare hands, then threw it on the ground as Duke plunged a knife through its chest. 

It was dead. The Hunt was over.

Barach lay gasping, his entire body feeling like it was burning with ice and drowning in fire. Most of the energy leaked out of his body, seeping into the earth. Some of it, he could feel mending his insides, fixing what the fiend had ruined. He still needed help. He needed a healer. With the match over, medics would be on their way soon, he just had to wait.

Lorcas knelt beside him, stuffing organs back in and pressing his hands to the wound in Barach’s belly. “You did good, rookie,” he said, applying pressure. “You’re going to be okay.” As Lorcas leaned over him, Barach realized this had been the captain’s plan all along. Barach had just been bait for the fiend. 

“Captain?” Barach muttered. 

“Hm?”

“I quit.”

Lorcas huffed. “You can quit when I say you can quit. I need you for next season.”

“You planned this,” Barach accused.

“Drani is the only one we’ve got with enough power to stun a zvik. He needed time to conjure, but he can’t take a hit like you can. It would have killed him if it got him.”

“But you didn’t care if it killed me.”

“I wouldn’t have let it kill you, Barach. I’ll apologize later, if you need me to, but for now, just lay there and shut up,” Lorcas commanded.

It was hard to argue with an order like that, especially when everything hurt so much. Barach closed his eyes. Before the medics reached the field, the winners of the championship game were announced. 

Archridge Academy won the Winter Hunt.


	70. Gabriel: 19th Degree of Wind, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel does what he has to to ensure his grades are perfect for the year, but it's not the most shocking part of his evening.

All anyone could talk about when class resumed for the last week of the year were the results of the championship Hunt. It was annoying. Everyone was excited about the win, and that’s all Gabriel heard in the halls as he walked back to the math room at the end of the day. The Hunt hadn’t even returned yet, their travel delayed for a day due to unspecified injuries, but news of their win was still being celebrated.

When Gabriel arrived at the classroom, he opened the door and went in. Tassin was there, but he was talking with another student, going over a test and explaining why the answers were wrong. He looked up as Gabriel entered and said, “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Gabriel crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, his face an emotionless mask as he waited. The grades were set in all his other classes, everything marked perfect. He knew math was perfect too, though he hadn’t done any of the work that month. Ori completed all his assignments for him in exchange for him allowing her to hang all over him in public. 

Any affection he’d once had for the girl was gone. He was using her, nothing more, but she was using him, too. After she’d given him that first blow job, she bragged about it to her friends, and the entire academy knew about it by the end of the week. She relished in being known as the Terran girl dating the Ahnnak heir, but Gabriel found her obsession with fame obnoxious. Even though she offered, he refrained from having sex with her, because he didn’t want details of his sex life spread through the academy so casually.

Still, dating Ori and letting her do his work gave him more time to focus on other subjects. He even had some nights he could go back to his room and hang out with his friends. He felt detached from them, but it was still nice lounging about, doing nothing, while listening to Erem describe the Hunts he’d been allowed to attend. 

Despite his hatred of Huntsmen in general, Gabriel felt a strange pride knowing Barach was doing so well in the game. If things had been different, maybe Gabriel would have even supported him in the game, traveling with the team to the distant lodges to watch the Hunt with Erem. As it was, Gabriel had other things to worry about. 

The student talking with Tassin gathered her things and left the room, not looking much happier than before. The Homm instructor just had that effect on people. When the door closed behind her, Gabriel pushed off the wall and walked forward. 

“Thank you for waiting, Gabe,” said Tassin, smirking with that smug, superior expression Gabriel hated. “We need to talk. It’s about your work this month. I know you cheated.”

Gabriel was already untying the knot across his belly. “Yeah? So?” He jerked his shirt off, tossing it aside as he approached the man’s desk. “What are you going to do about it?”

The Homm’s eyes widened in brief surprise, but then he chuckled. “Oh, Gabe, you are a naughty boy.”

“Sir, if you’re going to report me to the office, do it now, before I take my pants off.” He hooked his thumbs over edge of his waistband, tugging low, exposing the thin line of silver hair coming in across his lower belly. 

Tassin’s eyes flicked down, catching sight of the what Gabriel teasingly revealed. The Homm licked his lips. “I think we can work something out.”

“I want a perfect score, Tassin,” said Gabriel, moving his fingers along his waistband, keeping the instructor’s focus there. “Same rules. You can’t touch me without permission.”

“For a perfect score, I may need more, Gabe,” said Tassin, glancing up at his face briefly before reverting to staring at Gabriel’s crotch. 

Gabriel sneered down at him. “You want to taste me, sir? You want to watch me jack off, and come in your mouth?”

“Insolent little…” Tassin muttered, but his voice came out breathy and greedy. “Do it, Gabe.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, his voice filled with loathing.

It was easier this time. Gabriel tilted his head back so he didn’t have to watch the lust in Tassin’s eyes as the Homm hungrily waited for Gabriel to finish. When he was close, Gabriel said, “I’m going to come, sir,” and Tassin dropped to his knees before him, mouth open and tongue out. 

Semen splattered the man’s face and his mouth, and Gabriel watched, disgusted, as the Homm scooped it off his cheek and sucked his fingers clean. “Ah, so delicious,” the man muttered. 

“My grades, sir?” Gabriel demanded.

“Perfect, just like you want,” he replied, eyes unfocused with desire.

Gabriel stared down at the dirty, filthy, depraved adult. Corrupt, like so many others, but useful.

“Thank you, sir,” he said, then picked up his clothes and got dressed. 

While Gabriel dressed, Tassin regained a little of his senses. He sat back on his seat and wiped his face clean with a handkerchief. As Gabriel started tying his shirt, the instructor said, “You know, Gabe, I talked with the office. They agreed that since you improved so much this year, you’d stay in my class next year for AC Statistics.”

Gabriel yanked the knot a little too tight across his belly. There were other math instructors. He’d had the dim hope that he would never have to sit in class with Tassin again, but he should have known better. That would have been too easy. He looked back at the Homm over his wing. “You really think this is going to continue next year?” he asked.

“I think a boy like you already knows those odds,” Tassin replied, smirking. Gabriel clenched his jaw and glared with ice-blue eyes, but he didn’t say anything else. He left the classroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

***

On the stone arch overlooking the academy, Gabriel sat and stared down at the flitting shapes of people scurrying about like bugs under a log. The Hunt had returned late that afternoon, and the academy was hosting some big celebration in the dining hall for them that evening, complete with a dance and feast. Gabriel had no intention of going, and as long as Ori didn’t find him, he wouldn’t have to. 

He contemplated hiding in Alex’s room for the evening, spending time with his little brother in the quiet of Imperial housing. Gabriel dismissed that idea quickly, though. He still felt tainted by the Homm instructor, even after he showered and scrubbed his skin red. Being around Alex felt wrong, like the filth that clung to Gabriel might transfer to the little boy. Or worse, that Alex might know what Gabriel had done. That thought alone made Gabriel feel queasy. How could he bear to face his brother again if Alex knew what he was doing to keep him safe?

Sighing, Gabriel lay back on the cold stone. He stared up at the grey sky, the words of his father circling through this head in an endless loop. 

“ _I will tolerate nothing less than perfection from you. It is clear to me that your values are misplaced, but I will teach you the errors of your ways. When you test for the advanced coursework, your score will be perfect, or I will hurt Alexiel. Any error you make, I will take out of his flesh. Is that simple enough for you to understand?_ ” 

Gabriel had agreed then, because he’d had no other choice, but if he’d known what life would become after that, he wondered if he would make the same decision now. Thinking of his little brother, and the sweet, trusting way Alex looked up to him, Gabriel knew he would. Protecting him was the only thing that mattered, and if that meant being perfect to appease Jequn, then Gabriel would be perfect.

Shoving his hands back through his silver hair, Gabriel lay on the stone, staring up at the sky until he heard music drift up from the lower levels of the academy. The celebration had begun. Most the student would be there now. It was probably safe for him to sneak back to his room.

Gabriel rolled off the stone edge, falling until he was about even with the ninth year rooms. Then he snapped open his wings and glided toward the open arch. There was no one else around. 

Maybe he could just have a quiet moment in the room, relaxing, not worrying about anything. When Barach and Erem returned from the party, he could listen to how the game went. Maybe he’d even congratulate his friend and apologize for being such a jerk to him over the past few months. Barach had done it to help him, and Gabriel knew, without a doubt, that his friends would always be there for him when he needed them. They were the only people he could fully trust. They were the only people who had never lied to him.

When Gabriel opened the door to his room, there was a moment where he stood in the doorway, completely stunned as his brain refused to process what he was seeing before him. 

Erem fell off the bed, wings flailing as he scrambled to grab a blanket to cover himself. Erem was naked. Barach was naked, too, laying in Erem’s bed, a hard, slick erection jutting from between muscular thighs. 

Barach put a hand over his face, squeezing his temples like he had a headache, as Erem shouted, “It’s not what it looks like!”

Speechless, Gabriel just stared between the two of them, trying to make sense of what was going on. 

Erem stood, clutching the blanket to the front of his bare, blue body. His wings opened and closed repeatedly, as they did when he was anxious or upset. “G-Gabriel? What… I thought you were at the party,” said Erem, his voice shaking.

All at once, everything clicked into place. “Were you two fucking?” Gabriel asked, recoiling.

“It’s not… It’s not what it looks like,” Erem repeated, stumbling over the words. “We just… we were just…”

“We were having sex,” Barach said, sitting up. He didn’t try to hide himself or cover his body. 

Gabriel’s wings tensed. “Why?”

“He’s joking,” Erem said, the lie trembling around him. “It was just a game. We weren’t doing anything.”

“He knows, Erem,” said Barach. “You might as well tell him the truth.” He looked tired. There was a jagged scar across his belly, the healing skin barely able to hide how devastating the damage had been. Gabriel was having a hard time caring about that right then. He stared at Erem as the boy stepped toward him again.

“Gabriel, please, don’t be angry. Come in and talk,” said Erem. “Let me explain.”

“What’s there to explain?” he said, feeling cold. “You’re fucking Barach.”

“No, Gabriel, that’s not it-”

“Stop lying to me!” he hissed, slamming the door shut behind him. He felt confused and enraged, but most of all, he felt betrayed. He marched toward Erem, and the boy flinched back at his approach. 

Barach stood, getting between them like he thought Gabriel was going to hurt Erem. Gabriel didn’t know what he was going to do, but he stopped, glaring up at Barach with ice-blue eyes. “How long has this been going on?” he demanded.

“Just a little,” whispered Erem, peering around Barach. 

“Which part?” asked Barach. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Gabriel’s lip curled back in a sneer. “All of it.”

“Over a year,” said Barach.

_A year._ The words hit Gabriel hard, and he felt his chest ache. “You’ve been lying to me for over a year?” He stepped back. He clutched at his head as thousands of little moments between the two boys suddenly made sense. So many secrets, and so many lies. “Why?” he demanded.

“I love him,” Barach stated, looking toward Erem.

“But you’re both- You’re Ahnnak. It’s forbidden. You can’t be together!” he yelled. It was wrong. All of it was wrong, and it had all been happening right before him. He’d trusted them, but they’d done nothing but lie to him for over a year.

“Please don’t be angry, Gabriel,” pleaded Erem. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“We were afraid you would act like this,” said Barach.

“That’s not fair,” said Gabriel. “You hid this from me for over a year, I have a right to be upset!”

“Do you?!” asked Barach, raising his voice. “I’ve had to hide my boyfriend from _everyone_ for the past year, because if anyone finds out and it gets back to our parents, they will split us apart. You keep secrets constantly, but when I keep the one secret that will allow me to stay with the boy I love, you act like you have some right to be angry!” 

“ _Boyfriend_ ,” Gabriel repeated, the word sounding impossible coming from Barach. How had he not known?

Through clenched teeth, the older Ahnnak continued, saying, “You know what the worst part is?” Barach pointed at Erem. “He doesn’t even love me. He loves you.” 

“Barach, no,” Erem whimpered. “Why?”

Closing his eyes, Barach’s face pinched with pain. “I’m tired, Erem. I’m sorry.” He turned and walked back to the bed, picking his pants up off the floor. He kept his back turned to them as he dressed.

Gabriel stared at Erem, at the way the blue-skinned boy quivered and watched him. It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense. They were supposed to be his friends, yet he barely recognized them.

“I can’t stay here,” said Gabriel. “I can’t be around either of you.”

“It’s not like you were around much before,” Barach said dryly. 

That hurt. Anger was easier to deal with than pain. “You both disgust me,” said Gabriel. He walked over and picked up the books he would need for class the next day. He had no intention of coming back. 

As he walked out the door, Erem called out, “Gabriel, wait!” but Gabriel didn’t stop. He didn’t know where he was going to go, but he knew he wasn’t going to stay there.


	71. Alex: 29th Degree of Wind, 594 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex prepares to leave his room, and then takes a break to visit his brother.

A couple days before the end of the year, Alex sat on the top of the winged statue in the atrium of the Imperial housing watching the Homm movers haul trunks and crates into one of the lower level rooms. Someone new was moving in, someone who had enough baggage that they probably weren’t just staying for a week or two. Alex was curious to see if it was another student or an instructor.

The nice thing about sitting on the statue was that the Homm rarely looked up. Alex could watch everything going on without being in the way and without anyone noticing him. The bad thing was that if Remiel caught him up there again, he wouldn’t hear the end of it. His tutor was in Alex’s room packing, and Alex knew he should probably in there helping, but it was difficult being there knowing that he’d be leaving that room. It had been his home for a year and a half. He wished he could stay.

But what he wanted didn’t really matter. Tomorrow morning, the Homm movers would be coming by to collect his things and move him down to the sixth year rooms with Uzzi and Isa. His friends were excited about the room change, but Alex wasn’t. The idea of sharing a room with anyone else was difficult. He still felt like he was doing something wrong just by letting other people into his room. Sleeping near them was going to be impossible.

Alex ducked low on the statue, pressing himself against the white marble hair. He heard Headmaster Iscriel’s voice before he saw him. 

“Right this way, Princess Nakia,” the Terran said proudly, walking into the atrium. “Welcome to Imperial housing, fitted with the finest accommodations for your stay with us at Archridge. All your belongs are being settled into your room now, and if you wish, I can find an assistant to help you unpack.”

“I do not want an assistant,” said the voice beside the headmaster, clear and crisp. Alex peeked over the edge of the statue, trying to get a better view. 

An elegant girl about Alex’s age walked beside Iscriel. She had black hair woven in tiny braids and arranged into a neat bun on top of her head. A short mantle of tawny fur lay around her shoulders, framing her round face and contrasting with her dark amber brown skin. White shells hung in two strings from her hip, clicking together every time she moved. There was also a gold dagger tied at her side with a purple silk sash. 

The details in the ornate outfit distracted Alex long enough that he almost didn’t notice she didn’t have any wings. She was a Homm.

Her dark eyes scanned the room, and then she tilted her face up, locking eyes with Alex. He ducked back down, trying to press himself flat against the statue, but it was too late. He’d already been seen.

“Your room is over here, Princess,” said Iscriel, his voice trailing off as he led the way into one of the lower rooms.

“Thank you, Headmaster,” the girl replied, her voice growing distant. 

_Phew_. Maybe she hadn’t seen him after all.

“ALEX!” 

He jolted, spinning around and nearly slipping off the head of the statue. Remiel stood in the doorway of his room, tapping his foot and looking irritated. “How many times have I told you not to climb the statue?”

Embarrassed, Alex flew down to Remiel, keeping his gaze lowered. “Sorry, Remi.”

“Don’t ‘sorry’ me. It’s dangerous. That Terran boy got crushed to death by a statue in the city square a couple years ago. They’re not stable, and I don’t want you playing on them. Besides, you’re supposed to be in here helping me pack.”

“I know,” Alex sighed. 

Remiel ushered him into the room. “Go though your stuff on the shelves. I can’t tell what’s junk and what’s worth keeping.”

Alex trudged over and started sorting through the dried bits of plants and sticks he had on the shelf near his bed. Some of the things he’d collected himself, but a lot of them were gifts from his friends. Dried flowers, braided grasses, a rock with one side that glittered in the sun. None of it was junk. He placed all of it in the box Remiel gave him to pack, even the little pieces of the flowers that disintegrated when touched.

Remiel was folding Alex’s clothes, standing at the bed. He frowned as he watched Alex sweep the whole shelf into the box. “You don’t need to keep all of it.”

“I do,” Alex insisted. 

Shaking his head, Remiel asked, “So what were you watching out there?”

“A girl.”

“A girl?”

“Headmaster Iscriel called her Princess, but she’s a Homm.” 

“Oh?” said Remiel, intrigued. “A Homm princess, huh? That’ll be interesting. Was she pretty?”

“She was,” said Alex, but then he looked at Remiel and saw the way his tutor grinned. He felt his cheeks flush. “Not like that, Remi.”

“It’s okay, Alex. You’re almost at that age. You can think girls are cute.” 

“I don’t think girls are cute,” he said stubbornly. 

Chuckling, Remiel picked up the folded clothes and carefully placed them into the open trunk. “In a few years, you might change your mind about that. Girls are certainly going to find you cute.” 

“Remi, stop. You’re being gross,” Alex groaned. “You sound like Sophie.”

“And you sound like Uzzi, whining like that.” Remiel replied. “Speaking of Uzzi, you getting excited about sharing a room with him?”

“No. I still don’t want to do it.”

“It’s not going to be that bad, Alex. You’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Alex closed up the box of dried plants and rocks. There was no point arguing with Remiel about this anymore. There wasn’t anything that could be done to change it. He picked up the box and carried it over to the trunk. There wasn’t much inside. Even with everything he’d gotten over the past year and a half, he still didn’t own enough to fill that trunk. 

“Oh, I nearly forgot. This isn’t yours,” said Remiel, holding out a folded, light blue piece of silk. “I think its one of your brother’s shirts. Can you return it to him?”

“Now?” Alex asked, taking the shirt. 

“Sure. We’re done in here for now. Well, unless you want to come with me to my room to help me finish packing.” Alex made a face and Remiel laughed. “I didn’t think so. Go visit your brother. You remember the way to his new room, right?”

“Yes, Remi.” 

“Alright, then. Go on. I’ll find you when it’s time for dinner.” Remiel ruffled Alex’s black hair and smiled at him.

Alex smiled back then ran off, not wanting Remiel to change his mind and find more things for him to pack. He carried Gabriel’s shirt with him, holding it close to his chest. He knew the way to his brother’s new dorm room, because he’d already been there once. Gabriel moved in a couple days ago, as soon as class ended for the year. Most the week before that, he’d stayed with Alex.

It had been startling when Gabriel crept into his room late at night, sitting books down on Alex’s desk before sliding into bed with him. Alex had woken, but was paralyzed with fear as he felt the bed sink beneath someone else’s weight. He saw a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye, and he’d forgotten how to breath before Gabriel curled against his back and whispered, “It’s just me. Can I stay with you tonight?”

Alex had only been able to nod. His voice wouldn’t have worked even if he had wanted to say something. He rolled, adjusting so he faced his brother, so he could look up at him and see that he wasn’t Jequn. 

“Go back to sleep,” Gabriel whispered, stroking his black hair. Alex stared at him a while more, focusing on finding the features in Gabriel face that made him not look like Jequn. The differences were in the shape of Gabriel’s lips and the tip of his nose. Gabriel’s cheeks were soft and round, but he was already starting to lose some of his childlike features. Alex worried that as Gabriel aged, he’d look more and more like Jequn. He worried that one day he might not be able to tell them apart.

Alex held tight to the front of his brother’s shirt, and when his heart had calmed enough that he could sleep, he leaned forward and pressed his nose against Gabriel’s chest. At least they smelled different. He focused on that and closed his eyes, finally falling back asleep.

Gabriel had remained in Alex’s room for the last few days of classes. He said he’d gotten into a fight with his friends, though he wouldn’t say about what. Alex didn’t mind having him around, though Uzzi had avoided coming over while Gabriel was there. Alex didn’t blame him. His brother could be scary sometimes.

When Alex arrived at the advanced coursework dormitories, he followed the path through the halls to Gabriel’s room. All the students there were a lot older than him, and they watched him walk by with curious expressions. Being watched so closely made him nervous. That feeling wasn’t helped when he turned the corner, expecting to find Gabriel’s room on the left, but only found another hallway. 

That wasn’t right. Where was Gabriel’s room? Maybe he hadn’t gone far enough. It had to be the next hall.

When it wasn’t, Alex started to panic. He looked back, and realized he didn’t know the way out of the AC dorms either. 

He was lost.

Loud students carrying boxes turned the corner and came down the hall toward him. Alex dove around the next corner to avoid being in their way. They moved by without seeing him. He tried to go back the way he came, but nothing and everything looked familiar all at the same time. How many times had he passed that door?

Alex moved through the halls, holding Gabriel’s shirt to his chest as his eyes fill with tears. The students around him kept staring at him. A girl tried to talk to him, but he didn’t know her. He panicked and ran the other way, getting more turned around. It was getting harder to breathe. He pressed himself into a dark stone corner, sliding down the wall as tears dripped down his cheeks.

 _Where was his brother?_

Someone stepped in front of him. Alex stared at the boots through blurry eyes. “Hey, little one. You lost?” came a voice Alex was vaguely familiar with. He looked up and saw the grey eyes of the Huntsman who had found him in the forest.

Alex tried to speak, but his voice broke and he just started crying. Lorcasiel crouched in front of him, smiling softly. “It’s okay. I can help. You remember me, don’t you? We talked in the forest that day.” Alex nodded. “Are you looking for your brother?” Alex nodded again and sniffled. Lorcasiel held out his hand. “I’ll take you to him. Come on.”

Tears still dripping down his cheeks, Alex placed his small, grey-nailed hand in Lorcasiel’s strong hand and went with the Huntsman as he walked back through the halls. 

“These halls can be confusing,” said Lorcasiel sympathetically. “I got turned around the first few times I was in here, too. They built them further into the stone than the rest of the academy because all the students are given individual rooms.”

“They are?” Alex whispered, looking up at him. 

“Just for the advanced classes. They say its because we need the privacy to study, but you know they’re just playing favorites.” He smiled a bit, like it was a joke.

Lorcasiel took him through a few twists in the halls, and suddenly, Alex saw a door he recognized. He was so relieved, he started crying again. Lorcasiel led him up to the door and knocked.

When Gabriel opened the door, Alex exclaimed, “Brother!” and flung himself forward, crying against Gabriel’s chest. 

“Alex?! What are you doing here?” Gabriel asked, folding his arms around Alex’s shoulders. “What did you do to him?” The harsh question was directed at Lorcasiel.

The Huntsman smirked. “Found him wandering, lost and alone. You know, for as worried as you are about your little brother around beasts, you sure do misplace him a lot.”

“Thank you for finding him, Lorcasiel,” Gabriel growled through clenched teeth. “But the only beast around here is you.”

Lorcasiel leaned forward, close to Gabriel’s face and said, “I know.” Gabriel flinched back as if he’d been hit, pulling Alex with him. Lorcasiel laughed. “Keep better track of him, baby. These girls around here figure out he’s Ahnnak and your baby brother, and they will eat him alive.” The Huntsman turned, walking away and waving over his shoulder. 

“I really hate that bastard,” Gabriel grumbled, and shut the door. He crouched before Alex, pushing his black hair away from his face. “You okay?”

Alex nodded, holding out Gabriel’s shirt. “Y-You left this in my room,” he said.

Gabriel took it from him. “Thank you, Alex, but I could have picked it up another day. You didn’t have to bring it here.”

Shaking his head, Alex said, “I didn’t want to pack anymore. Remi said it was okay if I brought it to you. I thought I could find your room, but there were so many people, and the halls looked the same-” His voice broke and his lip quivered as that lost feeling overcame him again. He couldn’t stop crying.

“Shh, Alex, I’m here. You’re okay.” Gabriel pulled him into his arms and hugged him tight. He held Alex until the younger boy was able to calm down.

Sniffling one last time, Alex asked, “Would they really eat me alive?”

Gabriel squeezed him hard. “No, Alex. Lorcas is just a jerk. You don’t have anything to worry about here.” There was a bit of hesitation in his words that Alex didn’t find all that comforting. Gabriel added, “Though you probably shouldn’t wander around the AC dorms on your own.” 

Alex nodded in agreement. It was not an experience he wanted to endure again.

They spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out in Gabriel’s room. Though Alex didn’t need much help with it anymore, Gabriel sat and preened his wings like he used to. They talked a lot, mostly about what Alex should expect for his sixth year classes. When Alex’s wings were neat and pristine, Gabriel gave him some blank parchment and a charcoal stick to draw. His brother moved around the room, rearranging some of his things, but came over to look when Alex finished the picture.

Gabriel tilted his head and squinted. “What is it?”

“It’s Hadasha,” Alex said, offended that his brother couldn’t tell.

“It’s all black.”

“Look, there are her eyes. She’s peering through the shadows and leaves right before she pounces on her kill.” 

Staring at the drawing of the pardua’s eyes surrounded in darkness, Gabriel said, “That’s creepy, Alex.”

“It’s not creepy,” the little boy insisted.

When Gabriel saw that Alex was getting upset again, he said, “But I love it. I’m going to hang it on my wall by my bed so it’ll always be staring at me. I’ll never sleep late again.” Gabriel laughed and ruffled Alex’s hair. 

Alex couldn’t tell if Gabriel was joking or not, but he felt proud seeing his picture hanging on the stone wall, so he didn’t complain. He was sitting down to draw another picture when Remiel showed up.

Gabriel stepped outside the room with Remiel for a moment, but Alex could hear the angry tones of the conversation on the other side of the door. Remiel didn’t look happy when they came back in. He tersely said, “Alex, let’s go.”

“Already?” asked Alex. “Can’t I stay here? Maybe I can share a room with Gabriel instead of Uzzi and Isa.”

Remiel crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ve talked about this. The answer is no.”

Alex looked to Gabriel, hoping his brother would overrule Remiel, but Gabriel shook his head. “Listen to Remi. You need to be with kids your own age. It’s for the best. Besides, there’s not much room for you here.” 

Pouting, Alex said, “I can be small.”

“Alex, go. I’ll see you later, okay?” Gabriel hugged Alex again and sent him out the door. “You can tell me all about your new classes next time.”

“Yeah, sure,” Alex mumbled, keeping his head lowered. He left with Remiel. Alex didn’t even get the chance to tell Gabriel about the picture he’d drawn. He wondered if his brother would be able to tell it was a stag.


	72. ✶ Year 3 - 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new year begins at Archridge Academy. How will Alex adjust to sharing a room with other people? What is Gabriel going to do now that he is on his own? What will happen when the Harvest comes, and the boys are required to return home?

## Sons of E'din: Year Three

### 595th Year of the Dominion of E'din

  
  


**Gabriel** : Age 14, Year 10, AC Year 3 

**Alex** : Age 10, Year 6 

**Barachiel** : Age 15, Year 10 

**Remiel** : Age 17, Year 13 

**Erem** : Age 14, Year 10 

**Uzzi, Isa, Mace, Phrasa, Nenghi** : Age 10, Year 6 

**Sophie** : Age 17, Year 13 

**Lorcasiel** : Age 19, Year 15, AC Year 3 

**Sera** : Age 18, Year 14, AC Year 3 

**Ori** : Age 16, Year 12, AC Year 3 

**Nakia** : Age 11, Year 7 

  



	73. Gabriel: 12th Degree of Artisan, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new year begins with some major changes for Gabriel, none of which he is very happy about.

The first day of class for the new year had been irritating. Gabriel had Chemistry, History, and Statistics before lunch, Physics and Communications after. In every class, conversations stopped as soon as he entered the room. People stared and whispered his name. He did his best to ignore them, keeping his chin raised and his eyes cold, but it was annoying.

When he was a kid, everyone saw him as a troublemaker. He was always getting into fights or pulling pranks. No one saw him like that anymore. Gabriel had earned the top score of all the advanced curriculum students last year. Students and instructors alike looked at him with a mix of awe and respect. They viewed him as the perfect Ahnnak heir, and now, he actually looked the part. 

With a private room and bath, Gabriel had ample time to get ready every morning. He dressed in clothes befitting his station, with light silks and expensive embroidery. He combed his hair until it hung in a perfect silver sheet around his shoulders. He presented himself as well groomed and immaculate.

Every morning, Gabriel examined his hair and outfit in the mirror, blue eyes glaring with complete disgust for what he saw. He was perfect. He was everything his father wanted him to be, and he hated himself. 

Before the first day of the new year, there was one class Gabriel had looked forward to, right up until he walked through the door. Lorcasiel sat on the edge of a desk, students fawning over him and praising his recent win with the Winter Hunt. Grey eyes immediately shifted to Gabriel, and that stupid smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. Gabriel scowled, then walked in, ignoring the Huntsman. If he’d been lucky, he never would have had classes with that Terran again. Lately, he hadn't been very lucky.

Gabriel found a seat at the front of the room, as close to the instructor’s desk as he could get. He could still feel Lorcasiel’s eyes on him, and it made his wings itch. This was going to be a problem.

The class was taught by one of Gabriel’s favorite instructors, the Isten Elohim. Gabriel hadn’t had a class with him since eighth year, when he’d dropped all his standard classes and moved up to the advanced curriculum. Elohim taught a lot of the younger classes part time, visiting other rooms and assisting other instructors, but his afternoons were spent teaching the advanced classes in his own room.

The Isten looked up as Gabriel sat. “Good to see you again, Gabriel,” he said, a wide grin stretching across his face. “It’s been a while. How’s your brother? Adjusting to academy life yet?”

Pushing thoughts of Lorcas from his mind, Gabriel focused on the Isten. He smiled and said, “Yes, Isten. I think he is.” 

The Isten Elohim had sharply angled eyes, peculiar only because each dark eye was dotted with a second pupil. His strong jawline and short black hair made him appear young, and if not for the six wings than hung down his back like a cloak, it would have been easy to forget he was an Isten. Elohim was an easy going man, and usually fairly happy. Basically the complete opposite of Jequn, and Gabriel knew that was part of the reason he liked him so much. Anyone who could argue and disagree with his father was someone to be admired.

“I’m happy to hear that,” said Elohim. “I haven’t had a chance to meet him yet, but he sounds like an interesting boy.” 

“He is. A little shy, though, so don’t worry if he seems scared of you at first.”

“Thanks for the advice. I’ll try to remember that.” Elohim gave Gabriel another smile and moved to the front of the room to finish preparing for class to begin. 

The last of the students entered and took their seats. Gabriel glanced behind him to see Lorcasiel at the back of the room, lounging comfortably on a bench with his wings open behind him. The Terran sat there, looking smug as he watched Elohim. He caught Gabriel staring at him and winked. Gabriel snapped his eyes forward.

“Good morning, everyone. New day, new year, but a lot of familiar faces,” said the Isten Elohim. “Welcome to _Physical and Elemental Sciences._ We’ve got a big year ahead of us. We’ll be completing three projects. In the first, I will be requiring each of you to create a condensed form of your energy, like a storage capsule.” He held up his hand before the protests could start. “Yes, I know, some of you are worried it might be too hard, but I assure you, you can do it.” He smiled. “The second project is one of the favorites every year. You’re going to design and create a figure out of ice, and then you’ll be heating and melting sand to create a replica of it in glass.” Elohim nodded with a grin. “Oh, yeah, it’s going to get hot in here.”

There were some quiet giggles and laughs around the class. Gabriel smiled a bit, too, though he couldn’t shake the feeling of Lorcas behind him.

“For the final project, you will be creating and charging a generator.” The Isten motioned to the grey box in the corner. He grinned at Gabriel. “Would you mind giving us a demonstration?” 

“Yes, Isten.” Gabriel stood, settling his wings against his back as he walked to the front corner of the room. 

The generator was familiar. Gabriel had charged it before. During his third year, he spent a great deal of time with the Isten Elohim to learn how to control the elements after accidentally discovering how to summon their power. By academy rules, he hadn’t been old enough to learn yet, but summoning the energy had come easy to him. Controlling it did not. 

Back then, even when he wasn’t trying to conjure lightning, ice, or fire, he would be sitting in class or playing with his friends and see a glint of light in the air beside him. He only had a few seconds to react before that glint would erupt into a ball of flame, or an arch of lightning, or explode outward to cover the room in a thick layer of frost. After a few mishaps in the classroom, his instructor called in the Isten.

Elohim taught him control, and gave him an outlet to purge his extra energy before it overwhelmed him. Until he was old enough to officially be allowed to use the elements, Gabriel had stopped by the Isten’s room often to pour everything he had into the generator, just so he wouldn’t accidentally set something off in class again. 

Now he had enough control that he didn’t need Elohim’s help. In fact, if Gabriel poured all his power into the generator the way he used to, he would probably overwhelm the machine and burn the entire circuit out. 

Outside of class, until he was eighteen, he was still on restricted usage, but inside class, as part of instruction… Gabriel smirked a bit. He positioned himself about four cubits away from the box. It only took a second before a bolt of blue electricity shot from his fingertips, pouring into the generator. 

Someone in the room shrieked with surprise. Gabriel could hear the generator charging up, then, in a brilliant flash of light, the electric lights on the ceiling turned on.

Gabriel cut the current, snapping it off with a clenched fist. He had provided enough power for the generator to run the lights for the rest of the class, but no more. He knew Elohim liked to do that with each of his new classes, though the Isten usually created the effect himself.

While Gabriel returned to his seat, the rest of the class stared up at the white lights above them. Someone laughed, and then the class burst into cheers and exclamations of amazement. 

“It’s so bright! So much better than phosphor oil.”

“Or firelight! It’s like being in the sun!”

From the back of the room, Lorcas’s voice rang out, cutting through the excited chatter. “Oh, like it’s hard? Anyone can make a bit of static.”

The class quieted as Elohim appraised Lorcas. “Terran Lorcasiel, you are more than welcome to come up and try,” he said, motioning to the partially charged generator. “If fact, any of you may, any day you come to class.” He pointed up. “The lights will run if the generator is charged. It’s good practice for you all.”

Lorcas rose and approached the front of the room, walking up the aisle beside Gabriel’s desk. His wing snapped out, hitting the back of Gabriel’s head as he passed by. Gabriel glared after him, smoothing his silver hair back down.

As Gabriel had, Lorcas approached the generator. He held out his hand and widened his stance. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. He took a step closer to the generator, ground himself again, and closed his eyes tightly to focus. 

Gabriel could feel the flow of electricity around the Huntsman, condensing, pulling in and charging along his arm. Gabriel extended his focus out as well, finding the blue spark of energy he had sent into the generator. 

As Lorcasiel was about to send a small bolt of electricity from his body into the generator, Gabriel tugged at his own energy within the charged box. At that distance, he only had control of a little, but the voltage followed the path of least resistance and burst out, hitting Lorcas’ outstretched hand and rebounding his own power back into him. 

Lorcasiel snapped back, flying backward and hitting the floor where he skidded on his wings halfway across the room. The lights above blinked out and someone screamed. 

The electrocuted Huntsman lay on the floor, panting, staring up at the ceiling. Gabriel sneered down at him. “What’s the matter Lorcasiel? It’s just a little static.”

Elohim tapped the desk in front of Gabriel and the boy looked up, meeting the Isten’s gaze. One of Elohim’s eyebrows quirked as he stared down at him. Of course he knew what Gabriel had done, even if no one else would be able to trace it. Gabriel glared back down at the desk, sullen.

“Electricity is not a toy. It is important you all remember that,” Elohim said to the class. He walked over, grabbed Lorcas’ arm, and lifted him off the floor. He examined the shocked boy’s eyes, tilted his chin back and forth, and declared, “You’ll be fine. A little singed, but nothing a bit of rest won’t cure. Go back to your seat.” 

Lorcas stumbled to his seat at the back of the room and sat heavily on the bench, still blinking with a dumbfounded expression. 

“Alright class, today, we’re going to focus on condensing energy. Go ahead and open your text books and turn to page one. Follow along, but don’t feel frustrated if you can’t get it yet.” He looked down at Gabriel. “Except you. You and I are going to talk.”

“Yes, Isten,” he said, keeping his gaze lowered.

While the class started reading the book, Gabriel followed the Isten out of the room. Elohim took him a short distance down the hall and stopped. His six heavy wings settled against his back with a ripple down his white feathers, then he turned to face Gabriel. 

“What was that about?”

“Sorry, Isten,” he said. “I slipped.”

“Don’t give me that ‘I slipped’ excuse. You electrocuted that boy intentionally. Gabriel, if you can’t behave, I won’t have you in my class.”

Gabriel looked up, blue eyes wide and worried. “Please, Isten, it won’t happen again. Lorcasiel… he just pisses me off. I couldn’t help it. I saw a chance to get even, and I had to take it.”

Elohim appraised him thoughtfully. “You know, as an Ahnnak, you will be faced with many situations where you do not like the people you have to work with. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to work with them anyway. So, I won’t remove you from the class, but I’m assigning you a partner.”

“Isten, no-”

“You will work with Lorcasiel for the year. You’ll each produce your own assignments to be graded, but you will share the lowest score.”

“I can’t work with him!” Gabriel exclaimed. “He’s a Huntsmen. He’s big and dumb, and there’s no way I can pass this class if I have to- No! Isten Elohim, you can’t do this.”

The Isten straightened, staring down at Gabriel without compassion. “I am an Isten. I can do whatever I want. If you don’t want to work with him, fine. I have no problem failing you both.”

Gabriel groaned, covering his face with his hands. “ _Please_ ,” he begged.

“Go back to your desk, Ahnnak. Don’t worry. It won’t be nearly as bad as you think.” 

Gabriel seriously doubted that.

***

By the end of the week, Gabriel made the decision that he no longer needed Ori as his girlfriend. Her obsession with him was getting out of control, almost like she had become addicted to him. Even though they didn’t have any subjects together, Ori kept popping up between his classes, interrupting when anyone else tried to talk with Gabriel in order to introduce herself as his girlfriend.

It had to stop. His classes were going to be difficult enough this year without her clinging to him. Besides, he didn’t need her help in math anymore. Though vile, his arrangement with Tassin ensured he would pass, as long as he did what the man wanted. Gabriel had no doubts that things would get worse with the Homm, but to pass, he would do what he had to do.

At the end of the week, Gabriel broke up with Ori. Actually, he tried to break up with her.

“We should break up,” he said, walking in a quiet hall with her.

“No,” she said dismissively, laughing. “Gosh, Gabriel, why would you say something like that? Oh, Po said there’s a new club in Marut this year. They’ve got the most popular band from Lemuria playing, and we’re all going to go. Like, I know you’re not technically old enough to get in the club yet, but if you’re with us, no one will ask you. Though I suppose if they do, you could just tell them you’re an Ahnnak heir and they’ll let you in anyway. Oh, I bet they’d even give you free drinks…” Ori continued rambling, barely pausing to breathe, and Gabriel had been so unprepared for her outright refusal that he didn’t interrupt. 

The next time he tried to break up with her, she kissed him and shoved him back onto her bed. Ori had his pants loosened and her hand down the front, stroking him, before he could shove her away. His body responded to her touch, and when she broke the kiss to lower her head to his lap, he didn’t stop her. He lay back and cursed himself for his weakness, but he allowed her to suck him off. 

When she finished him, she pulled the laces on his pants tight, then kicked him out of her room, saying, “It’s almost curfew. You’d better go before you get caught. Good night Gabriel!” She shut the door before he could say a word.

Breaking up with Ori was turning out to be a lot more difficult than Gabriel planned. He didn’t want some big, public breakup, but he was having trouble seeing another option where she would actually take him seriously. He was wasting too much time and energy trying to come up with a solution. He sat alone in the library before the study group, still fretting over the problem, when Ilac walked up.

“What’s a pretty boy like you looking so worried for?” she asked teasingly, leaning over in front of him. “Missing your girlfriend? You know she was looking all over for you at dinner.”

“I’m aware, Ilac. That’s why I’m here.”

“You’re avoiding her?” she laughed, standing straight and putting her hands on her hips. “Trouble in paradise?”

Ilac had a reputation of her own, especially among the Hunt. She was very open and comfortable with her body, and wasn’t shy about taking different boys into her bed. The only time Gabriel had ever heard of someone seriously turning her down was when she had tried seducing Barach. Ilac had been livid, ranting, “How dare that rookie reject me!” 

At the time, it had amused Gabriel. Now he knew why. Ilac wasn’t Barach’s type. Barach liked men, specifically, Gabriel’s once best friend Erem. 

The fact that his friends had lied to him for so long bothered Gabriel more than the fact that they were both boys and breaking Ahnnak protocol. He still wasn’t ready to forgive them, and he didn’t know if he ever would be, but he would keep their secret. After eight years of friendship, he owed them at least that.

However, thinking of Barach and Erem’s betrayal gave Gabriel an idea. He looked up at Ilac. “Actually, I want to break up with Ori,” he said.

“You do?” the girl asked, surprised. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “You getting tired of that inexperienced little prude?” 

She said it as a crude joke, but he leaned forward, lips curled back in a callous smile and said, “Yes. Do you want to help?”

There’s always been some sort of rivalry between Ori and Ilac. They’d never gotten along, not since the first day Gabriel saw them together. He had never cared enough to ask about it before, but he knew it would be useful now.

“Help? What type of help are you looking for, pretty boy?” She took a seat on the bench beside Gabriel. Her hand touched his thigh. When he didn’t push her away, she started tracing little circles on his leg.

“How much help are you willing to give me?” he asked.

Ilac smiled. “For you? Anything. I can show you pleasure Ori never even dreamed of.” 

Gabriel leaned toward her, his lips almost touching hers. “Show me. Come to my room tonight.”

“With pleasure,” she giggled. She kissed him, just briefly, then got up. “I’ll see you a few hours before curfew.”

He smiled and watched her walk away, appreciating the extra sway she added to her hips for his benefit. 

***

Gabriel excused himself from the study group early. Ori questioned him, but he told her he was tired and wanted to be alone for a while. She acted disappointed and said, in front of all the other girls, “You poor baby. That’s okay. I’ll come check on you later, my love.”

Even though he hated the way Ori spoke to him, that was exactly what Gabriel was relying on.

Ilac was waiting for Gabriel in the advanced curriculum lounge. She lay on a pillow, reading a small pocket novel. Gabriel leaned over her, his silver hair falling around her face. She grinned up at him. “Hi there, pretty boy. You ready?”

“I think so,” he said, smiling down at her. 

When Ilac got up and took Gabriel’s hand, he had a brief moment of doubt and nervousness, but she leaned close and kissed him. She whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

They went back to Gabriel’s room. While Gabriel ensured the door wasn’t fully latched, Ilac walked around, examining his things. She peered at the two pictures on the wall, tilting her head quizzically. 

“You draw these?” 

“No. Don’t touch them,” he said, then added as an afterthought, “Please.”

Smiling, Ilac turned to him. She walked over, prowling forward in a way that made Gabriel’s stomach clench. “The only thing I’m here to touch is you. Come on, pretty boy, let me show you what you’ve been missing.”

Ilac was experienced, and Gabriel wasn’t the first boy she had taught to enjoy such pleasures. She undressed him, and let him undress her. She guided his trembling hands to her body and pressed her lips against his skin. With soft touches and gentle murmurs of encouragement, Ilac showed Gabriel there was more to sex than just a joining of hips and his own release. 

When the angry yelling started, Gabriel was kneeling, his face buried between Ilac’s thighs as she writhed in pleasure on his bed. Ilac had a hold of his silver hair, holding him in place while she moaned and twitched. She released him slowly, breathing heavily. Gabriel sat back, looking to the door where Ori stood.

“Ilac! What the hell are you doing here?!” Ori shrieked. “You slut! You whore! Gabriel!? What is going on!?” 

Gabriel stood up, grabbing the nearest piece of fabric to wrap around his waist. It was one of Ilac’s skirts, a sheer layer that barely hid anything on its own. He wrapped it around his hips a couple times as he approached Ori. “Stop yelling. Fiends, why are you being so loud?”

“You have a girl in your bed!” she yelled. 

“Yeah, I know. Can’t you see I’m busy?” He licked his lips, the gloss of Ilac’s moisture still coating his skin.

“I can’t believe this!” Ori cried. “How could you do this? Ilac is nothing! She’s just a worthless fucking whore! She tricked you!” Ori lunged toward the bed, like she was going to attack Ilac, but Gabriel caught her and pushed her back out of the room. As he moved her, he realized he had grown taller than her. When had that happened?

Gabriel stood in the doorway, blocking the entrance while Ori stared up at him, hurt and confused. “But you’re mine,” she said.

Without empathy, Gabriel said, “I never belonged to you, Ori. We’re breaking up.”

She started to cry. “No, no, no, you can’t! I won’t let you! I’ll do anything for you Gabriel! Anything!”

Gabriel sneered down at her with disgust. “Aren’t you too old to be acting so desperate? Grow up. I’m an Ahnnak. I would never stay with someone like you.” He shut the door then, closing it in her face. He flipped the lock. The wooden door did a sufficient job at muffling the crying on the other side. Gabriel turned back to face his bed, where Ilac lay on her side watching him. 

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” she said, the corner of her mouth turned up in amusement.

“You think I have a bad side?” he asked, walking back over to her. 

Ilac laughed and reached out to hook her fingers under the top edge of the skirt wrapped around his waist. “I’m not so sure you have any other side. Come here, pretty boy. I can think of a few more lessons we haven’t covered.” She pulled her to him, and he went eagerly, any nervousness gone.

Gabriel didn’t know when Ori left, but when Ilac dressed and sauntered back to her own room, his ex-girlfriend was nowhere to be found. 

Ilac blew him a kiss from the door. “See you around, pretty boy.”

“Thanks for your help,” Gabriel said, lounging in bed, completely satisfied. 

“Always glad to be of service.” Ilac laughed, closing the door behind her.


	74. Barachiel: 23rd Degree of Artisan, 595 DE

“I’m going to kill him,” said Lorcas, stomping across the training grounds toward Barach. “I swear on your mother, I’m going to kill him.”

Barach continued sharpening the sword, gliding the whetstone along the edge in slow, steady strokes. “You know she will always take my side.”

“I don’t care!” Lorcas picked up a spear from the weapons rack beside Barach. He spun it around, jabbing aggressively at the air. “I’m going to pop his stupid silver head off.”

“Our agreement still stands, Lorcas. Hurt him and I quit,” said Barach, not bothering to look up. 

“What do you even care?!” the captain snapped angrily. He lunged again, stabbing at imaginary foes. Probably ones he imagined to have Gabriel’s face. “You don’t even speak to that brat anymore.”

“It doesn’t change anything,” he replied. Barach felt like the sword was sharp enough for training purposes. He wiped the blade down, sat it aside, and picked up the next. “What did he do this time?”

“That little shit had the audacity to tell me - Me! - that I was channeling energy wrong. Does he have any idea who he’s talking to? I have half a mind to channel energy right down his fucking throat. Turn him into a big fucking icicle and drop him off the edge and-”

Lorcas hit the ground with the spear head. The shaft snapped, sending the sharp point spiraling across the field. Barach leaned back just as it whizzed past his face, embedding itself in the wood of the weapons rack. 

For a moment, Lorcas just stared at his broken stick. Then he threw it down and stomped over, grumbling, “I’m going to kill him.” He grabbed another spear and went back to the forms.

By now, Barach knew Lorcasiel well enough to tell when the captain was serious and when he was all talk. Lorcas may be angry, but he was channeling that aggression into something productive. He wasn’t actually a danger to Gabriel, not right now, though how they ended up paired together in Elemental Physics, Barach didn’t know. 

After the last sword had been sharpened, Barach stood and stretched his wings out behind him. He leaned back, pressing his hand into the small of his back. He’d been sitting like that too long. 

“Need a sparring partner?” he asked Lorcasiel.

The captain pointed at the ringed cane staffs leaning in the weapons rack. “I feel like hitting you with a stick today.”

Barach smirked a bit and got the weapons. He tossed one to Lorcas before taking a fighting stance before him. “Bring it.” They began sparring, falling into the fast and familiar battle with ease.

During the off season, there weren’t required Hunt practices every day. It was doubtful more than a handful of the team would show up today, but Barach was there because it was easier to cut class and come to the enclave than to sneak down to the stables in the valley. 

Lorcas always came to the enclave after class. His devotion to the Hunt was absolute, and he was always pushing himself to be better. Barach personally knew how far Lorcas would go to win. 

After the championship game at the end of the Winter Hunt, Barach wanted to quit. He had watched a fiend dig through his stomach and knew Lorcasiel had allowed it to happen. Planned for it to happen, even. After Gabriel walked out and dropped all contact with Barach and Erem, it seemed pointless to remain in a game that had nearly gotten him killed.

If Lorcasiel hadn’t come by and talked to him, he probably would have quit. The captain apologized for what happened, but when he did, he apologized to both Barach and Erem. 

Lorcas bowed low before Erem and said, “I’m sorry I put your boyfriend in danger.” There was no mocking or disgust in his tone. He delivered the apology sincerely, fully accepting they were together and treating them as he would any other couple. 

After everything Barach and Erem had been through, to have someone acknowledge their relationship without ridicule or disapproval meant more than the apology. Barach stayed with the Hunt purely for that reason, though Erem made Lorcas promise never to use Barach like that again. 

Not that everything was easy with Erem, but they were still together. The blue-skinned boy had been distraught after Gabriel abandonded them, and he tried to blame Barach for it. Erem wasn’t stupid, though. Gabriel’s reaction was exactly what they feared it would be, and they had known all along that he would find out eventually.

Maybe it would have been easier if they’d told him in the beginning. Maybe Gabriel would have been more accepting of the idea back then, but they’d been afraid. Erem still pined after the silver-haired Ahnnak, so much so that Barach found it easier to come to the enclave of the Hunt most afternoons just to avoid the mournful sighing of his boyfriend.

They had a dorm room to themselves now. Well, a third roommate had been assigned to them, but the Terran boy showed up at the door of the room, all his belongings in a box in his arms, and chirped, “I’m your new roomie!”

“No,” Barach stated, then closed the door in his face. The boy hadn’t come back.

The privacy allowed Barach and Erem to spend their evenings as they wished, usually naked and in each other’s arms. Barach often went to class the next day with scratches on his back and chest. By the time he arrived at the enclave, the marks were mostly faded. If they were ever noticeable, no one in the locker room said anything while he changed.

Barach wasn’t sure how much of the Hunt knew about his relationship with Erem, but none of them ever said anything about it if they did. They respected his privacy. He appreciated that.

Duke flew up while Lorcas attacked Barach with the staff, driving him back in a flurry of blows that Barach still had trouble keeping up with. It was like Lorcas was always one step ahead of him, responding to Barach’s moves before he even made them. 

The Air Commander landed and watched the fight for a bit, hissing with sympathy when one of Lorcas’ hits smacked across Barach knuckles. 

“Ouch,” said Duke. “Glad it’s you and not me, kid.”

“You need something, Duke?” asked Lorcas irritably, though he was barely winded. There was sweat on his brow, but his grey eyes were intense, focused on Barach as the Ahnnak defended. 

“It’s about Dien’s position.”

“You know I can’t put him back in the game,” said Lorcas, swinging the staff down. Barach barely got his staff raised in time to block.

“I wouldn’t ask you to, but I need a bruiser, Captain. I need to start training someone before the summer Hunt,” said Duke. 

“Use Wels.”

“I don’t want to use Wels. He doesn’t work well with Kanda.”

“Then what are you asking for?”

“I want Ku-Vox. Dien can start working with him, getting him up to speed, and-”

In one fast move, Lorcas swept Barach’s feet out from under him, knocking him to the dirt. He pressed the end of the staff to Barach’s neck, pinning him down, then glared over at Duke. “You want to start a rookie.”

“Why not? You did it.”

Both Terran looked down at Barach, who pushed Lorcasiel’s staff aside and sat up, coughing. He could feel the round bruise from the staff forming at the base of his throat.

“Barach is different,” said Lorcas. 

“I asked Ku-Vox to try out last year because I knew I would need a replacement for Dien soon. It just happened sooner than I expected.”

Lorcas offered his hand to Barach and helped pull him to his feet. “I’m not agreeing to anything, Duke, but you have Dien start working with him. We’ll see how he performs before tryouts, and if he can pull his weight, I’ll start him. Otherwise, you work with Wels or one of the more experienced second line bruisers.”

“Thank you, Captain,” said Duke, giving a quick bow. “I’m sure he won’t disappoint you.”

“If I have no expectations, I can’t be disappointed,” said Lorcas, raising the staff toward Barach again. 

Shaking the dirt from his wings and taking a deep breath, Barach fell back into his fighting stance. He raised his chin, giving a quick nod that he was ready. Lorcasiel rushed forward to attack, and they resumed sparring.

***

At dinner, Erem sat beside Barach, perfectly at ease among the gathered members of the Hunt. Even when they didn’t have practice, most the team still ate together at third dinner. They took up tables in over a quarter of the dining hall, but it wasn’t just the team seated there. Like Lorcas with Sera, many of the Huntsmen invited their friends, girlfriends, or boyfriends to the meal. It made for a loud and sometimes chaotic dinner, but it was like sitting down with a big family.

Barach wasn’t the only male member on the team who liked boys, but he was the only one who had to keep it a secret. The Homm Ground Commander, Titan, pulled his Terran boyfriend into his lap, nuzzling at his neck while the young man squirmed. Barach tried not to feel envious at the open display of affection between them, but he couldn’t bear to watch. He turned his focus on Erem, and the conversation the blue-skinned boy was having with the Homm tracker Zoldias.

“-live close enough I can go back and visit every long weekend. At least, every weekend I don’t have practice,” said Zoldias. “I miss my mom’s cooking the most. Well, one of my moms. My other mom isn’t allowed to cook anymore after she made this burnt hash that nearly killed us all. She’s good at a lot of things, but cooking isn’t one of them.”

Erem nodded along. “It’s the ocean I miss. My mother taught me how to surf when I was little. I was on a board on top of a wave before I even knew how to fly.”

“Seriously? That’s so cool. We have a pond near our house I used to swim in all the time, but I’ve never been to the ocean. I thought… I mean with your wings… Doesn’t water bother them?”

“If you use the right oil, you don’t even notice,” said Erem. “Of course, my father can just wave his hand and create this seal around feathers like nothing is even there, but they never get wet. He told me how to do it, and he said if I keep practicing, I should have it down in about a thousand years.”

“Damn,” Zoldias chuckled. “Sometimes I forget you’re Ahnnak. You’re actually still going to be around in a thousand years, learning more tricks. Too bad I won’t live to see it.”

Smiling, Erem said, “If you tell your great-grandchildren about me, I’ll swing by and show off as soon as I learn how to do it without gluing my fingers together again.”

Zoldias laughed and clapped Erem’s shoulder. “You’re hilarious, Erem. It’s hard to believe you’re friends with our super-serious bruiser,” he said, nodding to Barach. “You know, you should come by the enclave and hang out. See if having you around might get Barach to lighten up.”

Even though the Homm was just teasing, Barach rolled his eyes. “Erem doesn’t need to waste his time at the Hunt practices.”

Nodding, Erem added, “Besides, this is as light as Barach gets. He’s always serious.”

“Always?” asked Barach. “Is that what you think?” Beneath the table, he placed his hand on Erem’s knee and squeezed.

The blue-skinned boy jolted, startled. He quickly tried to regain his composure as he said, “O-Okay, maybe not all the time.”

Zoldias smiled at them. “Just think about it. I don’t think anyone would mind.” Someone further up the table got Zoldias’ attention, and he turned to them, getting into a shouting match over something trivial they’d learned in class that day. 

Erem and Barach quietly finished eating, though Barach left his hand on Erem’s leg for the rest of dinner.

***

While they walked back to their room, Erem said, “Ar is homesick. I’m going to take her back during the six degree break.”

“You’re leaving?” asked Barach.

“You can come, if you want,” he said, but Erem didn’t look at Barach when he said it. He knew.

“I’ve got practice this weekend. I can’t,” said Barach. “Plus, I promised Ku-Iannan I would help out in the stables when I could. They’re moving the auroch herd to the spring pen.”

“I miss how everything used to be,” lamented Erem. 

“It’s not all bad now, is it?” asked Barach.

His boyfriend sighed heavily. “I miss Gabriel. I miss having someone to hang out with when you go off and play in the dirt with the beasts. I miss having fun with him. Do you remember when Gabe and I diverted the waterfall and flooded the instructors’ level with ice?” Erem smiled nostalgically.

“I remember you and Gabriel coming back from the office with enough welts on your asses that neither of you could sit. I don’t miss you being in trouble all the time,” said Barach.

“It was fun, Barach. I miss fun.”

“I think you and I have different definitions of fun, Erem.”

They arrived at their room. Erem pushed open the door and pulled Barach to him. “Maybe not so different,” he said, before kissing Barach hard and kicking the door shut behind them.

They shed their clothes and fell into Erem’s bed, hardly ever breaking contact between one another. Every touch, every inch of Erem’s skin was familiar under Barach’s hands. Blue fingers stroked Barach’s erection, casting a slickness over his skin. It was cold, but Barach was accustomed to it now. Erem turned and knelt. He reached back, pulling Barach to him and guiding him inside his body.

A few times before, Barach and Erem had tried switching positions, but ultimately, they both preferred sex like this. Erem liked being stretched wide, filled completely while Barach thrust inside him. He liked the soreness that lingered for hours after they separated. 

Barach enjoyed the tight way Erem’s body encased him. He liked watching Erem squirm as he struggled to take Barach’s full length. Their bodies had both matured more, though Barach hoped he was about done growing. His erection was thicker and longer than when they’d first joined together in that seaside cave, and if they hadn’t been having sex regularly since then, he didn’t know if Erem would have been willing to try to take him. 

Some days, Erem had trouble fitting Barach all in. Barach would have to grab Erem’s wings and hold his boyfriend down until he could work his full length inside him. Even though Erem’s whimpers and moans, Barach knew it was okay. He knew Erem could handle it, and once stretched, his boyfriend’s body accommodated his size well. 

Being held down always excited Erem more. He liked the purple bruises Barach left on his hips. Barach liked that he didn’t have to be gentle with Erem. It was like they were made to be together.

When Barach came, he flooded his boyfriend’s quivering insides and slowly slipped out. Erem stayed on his hands and knees. He reached back, touching his stretched hole, moaning a bit the sensitivity of his skin. He summoned the thick plug of water he had designed and carefully inserted it into his body. It was clear, and kept him slightly stretched, but wouldn’t allow any of the fluid inside him to seep out. It would last long enough for Erem and Barach to make it to the showers and clean up.

Once the plug was secure, Barach rolled Erem onto his back. The boy lay panting, completely malleable before him. His lower belly swelled, filled with Barach’s seed in a way that Barach found completely fascinating. He placed a kiss against Erem’s blue skin before taking his boyfriend’s engorged erection into his mouth. 

Filled, stretched, and sucked, Erem always came fast. Barach swallowed every bit of him, then licked until the twitching spasms of his boyfriend’s body eased. 

Some days they would cuddle for a little while, but they knew that unless they wanted to deal with a bigger mess later, they would have to venture out and shower. Barach was really looking forward to the day when they could have their own room with a private bath. 

He pulled Erem into his arms and kissed his temple. “I love you,” he said. He traced his fingers along the edges of Erem’s wings. They twitched, overly sensitive in the post orgasmic haze.

“I love you too,” Erem replied. He closed his eyes, relaxing into Barach’s strong arms. Barach watched over him while he dozed, giving his boyfriend time to recover before they had to go back out and continue pretending.


	75. Alex: 5th Degree of Beasts, 595 DE

Life at Archridge Academy during the sixth year classes was a lot different than everything Alex had done before. There wasn’t just a morning class and an afternoon class. He had five separate classes with five separate instructors in five separate rooms. It was overwhelming. It took a whole month of Remiel escorting him from room to room before he could do it himself. Even then, he got lost once, and an instructor from another class had to come out and give him directions. Walking in late that day, with the whole class’s eyes turning on him, had been one of the worst things he experienced since coming to Archridge.

Remiel would have been there for him every day, but he had his own classes to attend. Alex knew it wasn’t fair to ask his tutor to give up so much of his time to help, so he tried to be more independent. Some days, he was okay. Some days he practically cried with relief when he saw Remiel waiting for him in the hall after class.

The new class schedule wasn’t the only thing Alex struggled to adjust to. He shared a room with Isa and Uzzi now. They had stacked bunks carved from the stone in their room, three high. Alex got the top bunk, because that was the closest thing to privacy he had in the whole room. 

The other boys were perfectly at ease. They laughed and talked while changing, not embarrassed at all to reveal their bodies. Alex had Remiel help him tack a blanket up at the edge of his bunk so he could hide behind that and change. 

Baths were a completely different issue. There was no escaping undressing before the other boys there. Alex had taken to stripping as fast as possible and diving into the large pool of steaming water to limit his exposure. Once in the water, it wasn’t as bad. 

When Uzzi and Isa splashed in after him, Alex could almost pretend he was back in the ocean. The other two boys were loud and rambunctious, sending big waves after one another. Sometimes, when Alex was feeling brave, he joined in. Laughing in the water, he was almost able to forget how exposed he was.

There had been one incident in the pool. Alex was playing with his friends, when Isa crept up behind him. Isa’s arms slid around Alex’s bare waist, yanking him back against his naked body. Alex only had a moment to panic, before Isa fell back, pulling him underwater with him. Alex had surfaced sputtering and angry. He immediately swam out of the pool, his black hair clinging to his face, while Isa chased him, saying, “I’m sorry. Don’t be mad. It was a joke. I was just playing.”

After that, Alex had to put firm ground rules in place with Isa, just as he’d done with Uzzi. No touching was the biggest one, and even if Isa listened twice as well as Uzzi, it was still an issue. 

Alex liked his friends, but living with them all the time was too much. They always wanted to be close to him. Sometimes, Alex needed time away. He needed time to be quiet and sort through the buzzing thoughts that filled his head. That was how he ended up back in Imperial housing, laying on top of the statue in the fountain, trying to hide from everyone. 

It was quiet there. Alex missed his old room, but the door was locked. He couldn’t get back in without breaking something. Remiel would find him up there eventually, and would probably scold him again, but Alex didn’t care. It was the only place he felt calm.

“I can see you,” came a girl’s voice from the base of the statue. “I know you’re up there.”

Alex peered over the edge, looking down at the Homm girl he had seen move in at the end of the year. She was staring right up at him. He ducked back over the edge of the statue, feeling his heartbeat race.

“You cannot hide from me, little bird,” she called. “Come down, or I shall come up after you. Why are you spying on me?”

“I’m not spying on you,” Alex said, staying hidden on top of the statue. 

“Then what are you doing?”

“I’m just hiding,” he replied.

“Hiding? How can you hide if I know where you are?” 

Alex frowned. He wasn’t sure how to argue with that logic. “Well… I’m not hiding from you.”

“Then you should come down here and introduce yourself. Prove you aren’t a spy.”

He peered over the edge to look at her again, but when he did, she wasn’t there. He leaned out and searched the bottom of the statue, all the way around the fountain, but she had vanished.

“If you were a spy, I would have killed you,” she said, directly behind Alex. Startled, he spun to see the girl pointing her sheathed golden dagger at him. She had climbed the statue when he wasn’t looking. 

Alex tried backing away from her, but he slipped, falling off the marble statue. He spun in the air, wings snapping out so he could glide safely to the ground. He landed, bent in half and holding his hand over his pounding heart. That had been close. If he had actually gotten hurt while playing on that statue, Remiel would never let him hear the end of it. 

He looked up, watching as the girl slid down and around the statue until she landed gracefully on the ground. “Sorry,” she said as she approached. “I did not mean to scare you.”

“What did you mean to do?” he asked, trying to take a few calming breaths. “Most the time someone points a knife on me, they’re not doing it to be nice.”

The girl quirked her head, looking at him strangely. “You have knives pointed at you often?”

“Often enough.”

She huffed. “You’re a strange little bird, but I guess you mean me no harm. I am Nakia, princess of Phunet, the kingdom across the narrow sea. Who are you?”

“I’m…” He paused. She’s given him her formal title. It seemed right that he should respond in kind. But instead, he said, “I’m Alex. Just Alex.”

“I doubt you are ‘just’ anything, little bird. Your kind are uncommon among my people, but even I can see there is something strange about you.” 

“Strange?” Alex asked, worried.

“Your eyes?” she stated, as if it was obvious.

“My eyes,” he said, exhaling with relief. “Right. They’ve been like this most my life.”

“Was it an accident?” Nakia asked, peering at him curiously. 

Alex shook his head. He simply replied, “No.”

Nakia seemed to accept that there was no further response coming to her question. She placed her hand on her dagger at her hip and paced slowly before Alex. “So, since you did not come here to spy on me, and you are very bad at hiding from me, why are you here?”

“I wanted someplace quiet to sit for a little while,” he admitted. He pointed up to where his room was. “I used to live there.”

“You don’t now?”

“I got moved in with my friends.” He frowned a bit. “Apparently, it’s better for me if I’m around children my own age.” 

Nakia snorted. “Yes, I heard that one, too. I told them I was willing to share a room with any other Homm princess in the academy. I almost think that headmaster will go out and recruit another just to hold me to my word.”

Alex smiled slightly. “That does sound like something Headmaster Iscriel would do. He’s very…”

“Stubborn? Uptight?”

“I was thinking meticulous,” said Alex. “He likes rules.”

Nakia shrugged. “So does my father’s adviser, and look where that got me. Off to the winged academy of E’din to climb stairs and study culture.” She rolled her eyes. “I hate it here.”

“You do?”

“Of course. No one will talk to me, either because I don’t have your pretty wings, or because they’re too intimidated by my being a princess.”

“It could be the dagger,” Alex suggested.

Nakia touched the golden weapon at her hip. “It’s ceremonial. I don’t take it off until I choose a husband, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m wearing it to my grave.” 

Alex could sympathize with the intensity of her words. “Have you made any friends since coming here?” he asked.

“One,” she said. “You.” Nakia smiled at him. “Do you want to come into my room? I can help you find a more comfortable spot to hide than on top of a statue.”

Nervously, Alex glanced over his shoulder. “I shouldn’t. It’s not appropriate.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’m a boy and you’re a girl,” he said. That was forbidden in all the dorm rooms, unless a chaperon was present.

Nakia furrowed her brow and squinted her eyes like she was thinking hard while appraising him. “I know we just started being friends, but can I tell you a little secret?”

Alex nodded. He was good at keeping secrets.

Leaning in close, Nakia whispered, “I don’t think I like boys.”

With a bit of relief, Alex replied, “I don’t think I like girls, either.”

They grinned at each other, and Alex followed her into her room. Nakia showed him toys and artifacts from her homeland. He could tell she missed her home a lot. When Remiel came calling for him a couple hours later, Alex promised Nakia he would return another day. 

“Anytime you need a place to hide,” said Nakia, smiling at him. 

Even as he listened to Remiel lecture him the entire way back to his room, Alex was happy. He had a new friend.


	76. Gabriel: 29th Degree of Beasts, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet morning is interrupted by a conversation Gabriel would have preferred to avoid. Sera isn't happy.

The advanced curriculum lounge was quiet that early on the weekend. Gabriel lay beneath one of the phosphor lights, the pulsing orange glow of the chemical reaction almost like sunlight filtered through thin clouds. Until the sun rose and cast light into the solar tubes that spread natural light through the deepest parts of the academy, the artificial light was bright enough to read by.

Gabriel curled the top part of the scroll up, and unrolled more from the bottom. It was an ancient scroll from Ahn he’d found in the library. The otherworld flax was decaying at the edges, but it covered the old world protocol for meeting dignitaries. 

For a few centuries, long ago, everyone spoke in codes. An asymmetrical stance while saying a greeting meant the exact opposite. A wing raised at the wrong angle while bowing implied offerings of sexual favors. The words spoken were twisted with platitudes that were meaningless, but whole kingdoms were lost on misspoken phrases.

It was something Gabriel found fascinating, and though his Communications instructor had mentioned it in class, they weren’t going to cover the topic more than that. Gabriel had to look it up on his own to learn more. 

Class was spent discussing the infrastructure of ancient Ahn communications, including the network of cables originally required to operate the tablet system of the Isten. Later in the year, they’d go into the wireless adaptations, but Gabriel found he really didn’t care about the technical side of any of it. It didn’t matter ‘how’ they communicated. It was ‘why’ that interested him. The different technologies only created rifts in the communication between generations, and he wanted to learn more about that, not the copper content of the cables or how many cubits were required to connect the kingdoms. E’din wasn’t big enough to need any of that anyway, so it seemed pointless to learn it.

Still, Gabriel learned it. He finished all his classwork and triple checked the details before he took time for himself, to sit and read his own interests. He came to the lounge, because he knew it was quiet, but also because he couldn’t stand to be stuck in his room alone another moment.

He was about halfway through his scroll when he heard movement at the end of the lounge. He looked up, expecting to see one of the Homm staff cleaning, but it was Sera. She froze when she saw him, and he could see her debating whether to come over or not. 

_Please don’t, please don’t_ , Gabriel thought repeatedly, but then she made up her mind and started across the lounge.

Gabriel watched her determined steps for a moment before he sat up, letting the scroll roll up at his side. He crossed his legs and waited. He doubted this was going to be pleasant.

“Sera.”

She stopped before him, her soft skirts swirling about her narrow hips. Her brown hair and lavender curls fell perfect around her shoulders, even so early in the morning. Lavender eyes stared down at him, filled with anger and frustration. “Gabriel, I want to talk to you.”

“I gathered, considering no one else is even awake at this time of day. Why are you? Or…” He looked at her again, noticed the smudge of makeup under her eyes and the wrinkles in her skirts. “Or have you not been to your room yet?” He scented the air around her. She usually smelled like Lorcasiel, but the scent of the Huntsman was infused throughout her. Gabriel smirked. “He doesn’t let you sleep in his bed until morning?”

Sera slapped Gabriel. Her dainty hand collided with his cheek, leaving a bright red hand print on his pale skin. “How dare you,” she said. “After everything I’ve done to help you, this is how you act?”

Gabriel blinked a couple times, stunned by the sharp sting on his face. It had been a while since anyone slapped him. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like. He turned back to look at her, his eyes cold. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to apologize!”

“For what? For implying that your so called boyfriend is ashamed someone might see you leaving his room?”

She balled her hands into fists at her sides. “I want you to apologize to Ori. What you did to her was unacceptable.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “ _That_. No. I’m done with her.”

“She’s my friend. She really loved you-”

“She didn’t. Sera, don’t get infatuation mixed up with love. Ori loved me as much as those girls Lorcas sleeps with after a Hunt love him. When you’re not there, do you think he loves them, too?”

Glaring, with tears in her eyes, Sera said, “When did you turn into such a fiend?”

“Maybe when everyone expected me to stay with a girl who refused to listen when I asked to break up. I am an heir, Sera. Who I will marry is decided by my father, an Isten, and I don’t have time to waste pretending that I will have any say in the matter with some silly girl who only stays with me so she can brag about having an Ahnnak boyfriend.”

“Is that really what you think?” Sera asked. “You broke Ori’s heart. She barely comes out of her room. She’s falling behind in her classes. They may remove her from the advanced curriculum.”

Gabriel’s lip curled back into a sneer. “That is not my problem.”

Sera shook her head sadly. “What is wrong with you? I know you, Gabriel. This isn’t like you.”

Collecting the scroll, Gabriel stood up. Sera was still taller him, but not by much. He looked directly into her lavender eyes as he said, “You don’t know anything about me.” 

Sera actually took a step back from him, as if she saw something dangerous in his eyes. “You need help,” she whispered.

“It won’t be from you.” He tilted his head, looking her up and down. “This room has an unpleasant scent to it. I’m leaving.” Gabriel walked by the Terran, not bothering to look back at the hurt expression on her face. 

Gabriel returned to his room. He closed and locked the door, then tossed the scroll aside. He felt drained, too exhausted to read anymore. He lay on his bed and pressed his face into his pillow, wishing he could just smother himself and end it all.


	77. Remiel: 30th Degree of Beasts, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adjusting to new rooms is difficult. Remiel takes Alex for a quiet walk, and the little boy reveals something Remiel should have noticed earlier.

By the end of the second month of the new year, Remiel felt that Alex had finally adjusted to his new classes and his new room. It helped that he had somewhere he could go whenever he needed to calm down. 

At first, Remiel had been surprised to find that Alex made friends with the Homm princess Nakia. She was a year older than the black-haired boy, a transfer from the Homm kingdom of Phunet, and she was practically the opposite of Alex in every way.

For some reason, the little boy loved being around her. Sometimes, Remiel would stop by to pick him up, and he’d find them whispering back and forth, the conversation dropping off completely when they noticed him.

Of course Remiel teased Alex about it. He thought the young Ahnnak had a crush on the Homm princess. But then, a couple days ago, Alex and Remiel went for a walk after dinner, looking for a moment of peace on the cliffs over the academy. They sat in the grass among the spring flowers, quietly watching the sunset, when Alex spoke. 

“Remi, can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything, Alex,” he replied.

“I’m worried you might be disappointed in me.”

“Did you leave another history test blank?” asked Remiel.

“No. It’s not about class.”

“Then what? I promise I won’t be disappointed.”

Alex sat silently for a moment, black eyes focused on the golden clouds in the far distance. Softly, he said, “I don’t like girls.”

Surprised, Remiel stared at him, trying to figure out if he was interpreting the statement correctly. “You don’t… like girls? Like, to kiss?”

“I don’t want to kiss anyone, but yes. That’s what I mean.”

Even though Alex’s expression was completely blank, Remiel recognized how difficult that must have been for the quiet boy to reveal about himself. Suddenly, all the little jokes and comments Remiel made, just playfully teasing the young boy, felt horribly mean.

“Oh, Alex,” Remiel sighed, moving closer to his young charge. “I’m not disappointed. I could never be disappointed with you for something like this. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me for all the times I teased you about girls? I shouldn’t have made assumptions like that.”

Alex glanced over. “You’re not upset?”

“I’m a little upset with myself,” Remiel admitted. “It must have been hard for you to tell me, after the way I’ve been acting.”

“I know you never meant to say anything to be mean,” said Alex. “You’re my friend, Remi. You’re only the second person I’ve told.”

“Who was the first?” asked the bronze-skinned Ahnnak, expecting the boy to say his brother. 

“Nakia,” answered Alex. He plucked a blade of grass from the field, twisting it between his fingers. “I don’t think I’m ready to tell anyone else yet.”

That surprised Remiel. He thought for sure Alex would have told Gabriel, or at least had plans to do so. Then again, the brothers hadn’t spent much time together lately. Gabriel always seemed busy. The few times they had dinner together, Gabriel finished his meal fast and left early, making excuses about classwork. 

Fortunately, Alex was never left alone for long. His friends from his flight squad last year often surrounded him, chatting jovially. Uzzi was never far from his side, either. 

A sudden thought struck Remiel. “Hey, Alex. Do you mind if I ask? Since you don’t like girls, is there a certain boy you like?”

A slight blush passed over Alex’s cheeks, but he said, “I don’t think I want to kiss boys, either, Remi.”

Remiel suppressed a grin. Alex _did_ like someone. “You’ll want to choose someone eventually,” he said. “You don’t want to end up alone forever.”

Alex just shrugged and continued to stare off into the distance. 

Later, in private, Remiel talked to Sophie about his conversation with Alex. She was even more shocked than him. 

“He’s too young to know that for sure,” she said.

“He’s ten, Sophie. He’s old enough to start to figure it out. I think he’s a lot more aware than we give him credit for.” 

“But he’s so cute,” said Sophie, pouting. “I was looking forward to seeing him all dressed with a girl on a date.”

“He can get dressed up to take a boy on a date,” Remiel replied.

“But a boy could hurt him. A boy is just going to break his heart.”

Remiel stood before his girlfriend, rubbing her arms as he looked directly into her fiery eyes. “A girl can hurt him and break his heart, too, Sophie. It’s his choice. Even if he changes his mind later, we’re his friends, and we’re here to support him, whatever he decides to do.”

Sophie sighed. “I suppose. It’s just, Alex is so sweet and gentle. Boys are going to be so cruel to him. Maybe once he sees the cute girls Uzzi dates, he’ll change his mind.”

After observing Uzzi’s behavior over the past few days, especially around Alex, Remiel wasn’t so sure Sophie would see any girls on Uzzi’s arm anytime soon. But he didn’t say anything. Remiel just pulled her into an embrace. The boys needed to figure that out on their own.

After a while, Sophie pushed back from Remiel, eying him suspiciously. “You’ve never dated a boy, have you?” she asked.

Remiel laughed. “You know I haven’t.”

“Well then would you? After I’m gone?” 

_Gone_. She didn’t mean if they broke up. She meant after she had grown old and died, and he had countless millennia before him without her. He tried to keep a smile on his face and his green eyes bright. 

“I don’t know that I’ll find anyone I care about like you. If I did…” He paused, thinking for a moment. “If I did, I don’t think their body would matter,” he admitted.

Sophie wrinkled her nose. Teasingly, she said, “You would kiss a boy? Ew, Remi.” 

“What, _ew_? Don’t ‘ew’ me. You asked.” He reached out, tickling her sides. She laughed and pushed him away. 

“Stop it, Remi! Don’t!” Sophie ran and he chased. The room was small. It was easy to capture her, tumbling into her bed. He kissed her passionately, pressing against the soft curves of her body, wishing he could lose himself in her heat. 

Then her two roommates came back to the room. Remiel and Sophie parted with flushed cheeks as the girls tittered, covering their mouths to hide their laughs. Remiel excused himself from the dorm, bowing to them, doing his best to hide the state of his body beneath his too thin clothes. 

That was a design flaw he needed to work on.

Remiel took a few moments to himself in the showers before returning to his own room. A lot of the boys left the twelfth year showers with nothing but a towel around their waists, but Remiel pulled on a light shirt. He wasn’t modest, but he had pierced his left nipple with a gold ring. 

A few of the more conservative Terran staff had a problem with his piercings, and they weren’t shy about telling him. In total, so far, Remiel had six piercings. Three rings in his left ear, one in his right, a stud in his nose, and the ring in his nipple. His hair covered his ears most the time, so those weren’t usually a problem, and he switched the piercing in his nose from a ring to a stud after one of the instructors threatened to rip it out, but the nipple piercing he intended keep hidden from the staff. 

He didn’t understand why they were making such a big real about it. It was his body, not theirs. He should be allowed to pierce whatever he wanted to. The Homm did, after all.

As he walked back to his dorm, Remiel slowly fanned his wings, letting the light breeze dry the curl back into his thick hair. He opened the door to his room, recoiling from the smell. 

“Are you kidding me? Go shower. What the hell is wrong with you,” he said, not bothering to greet the boys he’d been assigned to room with. 

“Ah, look, Tirq, Mama Rem is back,” said the Terran boy who always smelled dirt after a storm.

“Oh, no, Chaidi, better not break any rules or he’ll tattle!” said Tirq, a muscular Homm who needed to shower twice as much as he actually did. 

“Guys, seriously. No one should be forced to live like this,” Remiel said, fanning the air harder with his wings. “The ten year olds I watch are cleaner than you two.”

Tirq swung down from the top bunk, landing before Remiel. “Listen, priss, you want the room clean? Do it yourself.” 

Remiel wasn’t sure why the Homm got the top bunk, but not much about the dorm situation was fair. “It’s not my job to clean up after you,” he said. “All I ask is that you don’t come back to the room smelling like you’ve been dragged through sewage.”

Tirq sneered at Remiel. “What’d you say to me?”

“Did I stutter?” Remiel said, touching his chest like he was surprised he’d been misunderstood. “I said you smell like sewage. This is why you’re still single, Tirq. You fester in your own filth for days, sweating like someone made you run laps on the solstice and you’ve got a phobia of soap. Just because you were raised in a barn doesn’t mean you have to smell like it.”

Tirq glared at Remiel, but Chaidi laughed. “He’s right man, you’re rank.”

“And you,” said Remiel, shifting his attention to the Terran. “Not wanting to preen is not an excuse for not washing your ass. Use the fucking soap.”

“Damn, Mama, who put a pin in your feathers?” Chaidi said, sliding off the lowest bunk. He walked over to stand beside Tirq. “Chill out. Slip that stick out of your ass and relax.”

Remiel closed his eyes and sighed. “Seriously, guys, just go shower.”

“Yeah, well, not cause you asked,” said Tirq. “I was going to do it anyway.” 

“I wasn’t,” said Chaidi. “I’m still not going to.”

Remiel's wings twitched. “If you don’t go now, I’m going sew nettles in all your clothes for the next year.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Fiends, man, fine. I’ll go,” Chaidi rolled his eyes. He walked from the room with Tirq. 

“Soap!” Remiel called after them.

“Fuck you, pansy,” Tirq shouted back, then slammed the door shut.

Ah, yes, it was wonderful having roommates again. Remiel would have liked to think at one time it had been different, but he’d never gotten along with any of his roommates in the past. 

Tirq and Chaidi had been in Remiel’s classes off and on for the past twelve years. They’d been among the students who used to tease Remiel when they were young. There wasn’t much they could do or say to upset him now, but that didn’t mean they didn't still try. 

Remiel picked up some of the dirty clothes thrown about the room and tossed them in the far laundry basket. He shuddered. So gross. How could they stand to live like this?

As he walked around the room, looking for any other trash, Remiel snapped his fingers and fanned his wings. With each snap, electric sparks burst from his fingers, and gradually, the room started smelling better. The ozone scent of electricity overtook the lingering scent of his roommates.

It was bearable now, at least.

Remiel climbed up into the middle bunk and lay down. The inset shelves of his bunk were nearly empty, except for the books he needed for his classes and Alex’s classes. He didn’t have any personal items to clutter his space like his roommates did. Everything he bought for himself, he could wear, like the rings on his fingers or pierced through his ears. He didn’t need anything else. Besides, it wasn’t like he was about to start receiving packages from home with little gifts anytime soon.

Spreading his wings and laying on his back, Remiel tried to relax. He threw one arm over his eyes and slid his other hand under his shirt, pushing the fabric up to expose his smooth torso. His fingers trailed over his bronze skin, lingering at his navel as he wondered whether he could pierce there, too. 

That would have to wait.

The next time Headmaster Iscriel paid him, he planned on using a little of the money to buy a ring to pierce his other nipple. He found the bare nub and pinched, feeling the way his nerves seemed to ignite all the way around to his wings. When he did the same thing on the pierced side, the feeling spread further, more sensitive, making his wings ruffle. The increased sensitivity had been a delightful and unexpected side effect of the piercing, especially once Sophie discovered the effect with her mouth. 

Since he had quickly masturbated in the shower, Remiel wasn’t worried about the sensations making him hard again so soon, but he still made himself stop. It wouldn’t do to get caught playing with himself by his roommates. They’d never shut up about it. He lowered his shirt, though he couldn’t resist tweaking the ring once more through the thin fabric. 

Remiel missed having his own room. He missed having Sophie spend the night and waking up with her soft warmth in his arms. He missed privacy. Since both they both shared rooms with other students now, time alone was difficult. 

If they were married, they could apply for joint housing. Other kids in their year had already done it. Seventeen wasn’t an uncommon age to start a family among Homm, and even a lot of Terran. By the time non-specialist students graduated, they could have their first child and be ready to join the Homm and Terran families in service to E’din.

Arranged marriages were the only cases where married students were removed from the academy. Even that was only common with Isten-guided family lines. Everyone else remained to finish their education, at least, whatever level of it was necessary for their future.

If Remiel had asked, Sophie probably would have agreed to marry him. But he couldn’t. And it wasn’t just because he needed his grandfather’s permission before doing so. 

It wouldn’t be fair to her. 

Remiel hadn’t been honest with Sophie about some parts of his life. She couldn’t bind herself to him without knowing the truth. She had a bright future as a healer, and didn’t need the dishonor he would bring dragging her down. 

By waiting to tell Sophie, Remiel knew he was being a coward, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It had been hard enough to think of telling her while they had hours in a room to themselves, completely private. Now, they had stolen moments in hallways and dorm rooms when no one else was around. He barely had time alone with her at all. He definitely didn’t have time to reveal the truth.

One day, he would be brave enough, and when he was, he hoped she wouldn’t choose to leave him. Unfortunately, he knew that was unlikely.

Remiel groaned and rolled over, turning his back to the door so he wouldn’t have to talk to his roommates when they came back from the showers.


	78. Alex: 6th Degree of Sun and Moon, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex, Uzzi, and Isa come up with a plan for their weekend.

It was nearly curfew, but Alex and Uzzi were alone in their dorm. Alex sat among the cushions in the pit, thread wrapped around his fingers, as he focused on weaving a braided cord. It was frustrating, because Remiel always made it look so easy. There were too many knots, and it definitely wasn’t easy.

Uzzi lay on his stomach at Alex’s side, holding the end of the braid with one hand to keep it tight. He had a book about fiends before him, as well as a bowl of nuts and seeds. He crunched loudly while he ate. His wings remained open, twitching almost constantly with sporadic jerks and flutters. His feet bounced off the pillows behind him rhythmically. Still, he never let go of the end of the braid.

This was as calm as Uzzi got, unless he was sleeping. Sometimes, Alex would peer over the edge of the bunk to watch the sprawled out way Uzzi slept, blankets all kicked aside, one leg thrown over the stone edge to dangle before Isa’s bunk. It felt wrong to watch him, but Alex couldn’t help himself. It was the only time Uzzi was ever really still. He could examine the boy’s face without those fiery eyes turning on him, filling him with a heat he wasn’t comfortable thinking about during the day.

The door to the room burst open, Isa announcing, “You would not believe what I just heard.”

Alex startled at the loud noise, and the threads slipped from the fingers of one hand. His brow furrowed as he tried to remember how to pick them up in the same pattern. 

“What did you hear?” Uzzi asked. He placed a feather in his book and closed it. He sat up, but held the tension in Alex’s braid while the black-haired boy attempted to fix his work. 

Isa flopped into the pit, sprawling out beside Uzzi. He took a handful of the nuts and seeds from the bowl. “So, I was on my way back to the room, when I saw an instructor walking with these kids like they were in trouble. I ducked into one of the side halls, because he looked mad, and I didn’t want to get in trouble, too.” He ate a few of the seeds from his hand, crunching loudly. “So I was hiding, and they walked by, and the instructor said something like, ‘I know you were sneaking off to make out. The first level is off limits.’ And I got to thinking, what if the rumors were true?”

“What rumors?” Uzzi asked.

Isa’s eyes got wide. “You don’t know? I guess, being in the remedial class so long, you probably didn’t hear.” 

Uzzi frowned down at him. “Hear what?” he asked, getting annoyed.

“About the abandonded rooms on the lowest level of the academy.”

“I know about the rooms. They’re closed off because the waterfall leaked through cracks in the stone.”

Nodding, Isa said, “And?”

The red dots of Uzzi’s eyebrows scrunched together. “And no one is supposed to go down there.”

Smirking, Isa said, “But people still do. Do you know why?”

“Isa, I swear on the Isten if you don’t just say it, I’m going to punch you,” said Uzzi.

The boy laughed. “Well, maybe I shouldn’t tell you. They are just rumors, after all.”

Uzzi lunged for Isa, but the boy rolled out of his reach. The sudden move jerked the braid from Alex’s fingers. “Oops, sorry, New Moon,” said Uzzi. He handed the braided thread back to him. 

“It’s fine,” Alex said, taking it and examining the work he’d done so far. “I messed up anyway.” He tied the loose threads together in a loop so he could work on it later. Remiel might be able to tell him what he’d done wrong.

Isa got up, pacing the room at the edge of the pit. He ate a few more of the nuts from his hand. “I guess, since we’re roommates now, it’s my job to catch you guys up with the everyone else. I’ll tell you, but you can’t repeat it to anyone.”

“Why are you making such a big deal about a couple damp rooms?” Uzzi asked. 

“It’s not the rooms, it what people do in the rooms,” said Isa. “The rumors say couples go there to make out and have-” he paused and dropped his voice low, “ _sex_.” He said the word like it was something exciting.

Alex froze, looking at his friends from the corner of his eye. He wasn’t breathing, and he couldn’t remember how at the moment. 

Uzzi gaped at Isa. “They do what?!”

Isa crouched before Uzzi, his wings giving a nervous flutter against his back. He bit his lip, but his eyes were excited and curious. “Sex. Like, to make babies.”

“No way,” said Uzzi. “You’re making that up. No one is going to go into a soggy stone room to make a baby.” 

Isa rolled his eyes. “Well, they don’t _have_ to make babies.”

“Then why would they do it?” Uzzi demanded. 

Raising his wings shyly, Isa looked away and said, “I heard it’s supposed to feel really good.”

Skeptically, Uzzi asked, “Who told you that?”

“Some older boys. They said it feels better than anything, even flying.”

“It doesn’t,” Alex whispered, but his voice was so tight, the words barely passed his lips. Neither of his friends heard him. 

Uzzi appeared doubtful of Isa, but at the same time, it was clear he was curious. “So you really think people go to the lowest level to do… _that?_ ” 

Nodding, Isa said, “Yeah. Why else would that instructor have been so mad?” He licked his lips. “We should go. We should check it out, see if the rumors are true. We could spy on people making out.”

Uzzi’s puffed up wings went rigid behind him. His heart was beating fast. “Spy? Like… watch people kiss and stuff?”

“We can sneak out now. We’ll stay in the shadows, and no one will ever see us. It’ll be exciting.”

“But it’s almost curfew,” said Uzzi. 

“Breaking curfew to sneak down to the lowest level is what all the older kids do. Don’t tell me you’re afraid.”

“I’m not afraid,” Uzzi insisted. “I just don’t want any of us to get in trouble.”

“We won’t. Trust me. Come on.” Isa stood and walked toward the door. Uzzi hesitated a moment, then followed him. They stopped before the door to slip on their shoes. “You coming, Alex?” Isa asked.

“No,” Alex stated, his voice finally strong enough to reach them. “I don’t want to watch anyone kiss.”

Uzzi bit his lip.“You’re not going to come?”

“Oh, don’t be a baby, New Moon.” Isa stomped back across the room until he stood over Alex, looking down at where he sat in the pit. “You have to come with us. We’re friends, we’re supposed to do things together.”

“I don’t want to go.” Alex looked up at Isa, his black eyes swirling. “You’re going to get in trouble.” 

“Only if we’re caught. Come on. Please? It’s so boring around here all the time. Don’t you want to do something exciting?”

Alex didn’t. He was content to sit in the room tying thread together all evening. But he looked at his friends. They were anxious and curious. They wanted to go. He tried to think of anything he could say to talk them out of leaving.

“What if you’re seen?” Alex asked “What if someone tries to kiss you?”

“I would run away,” said Isa boldly. “I’m fast. No one could catch me, and if they did, I’d punch them.”

Uzzi looked less certain about the idea. “No one would really do that… Would they?” 

“Stop acting scared,” said Isa. “I want to have an adventure, just the three of us. No girls, no Remi, no adults. Just us. We can sneak down there and be back before anyone finds out we’re gone.”

“What if we did something else?” asked Alex. When Isa made a face, Alex continued. “Something really exciting. Something a little dangerous.”

Isa’s eyebrows raised. “Dangerous? What do you know about dangerous, New Moon?”

“I know…” Alex paused. He shouldn’t say anything, but if he didn’t, his friends would insist on going down to the abandonded rooms tonight. That was the last thing he wanted to do, especially if any of the rumors were true. “I know where an auroch herd is,” he said finally. He looked up at Isa. “I could take you to see them.”

“Aurochs?” Isa asked. “Like, the beasts? I don’t believe you.”

“There’s a stables in the valley. My brother’s friend used to take me there. I could show you, except… I’m not suppose to go alone.” 

Isa huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “More excuses.”

Alex stood up in the recessed pit, staring defiantly up at Isa. “I’m not supposed to go alone, but if we go to sleep now, we sneak out before sunrise and fly out of the academy before anyone else wakes up. I can show you the beasts, and you can meet Cloudkicker. If she likes you, maybe she’ll let you ride her.”

“Cloudkicker?”

“She’s an auroch. She’s my friend.”

“You can’t ride an auroch, and you can’t be friends with beasts, either,” replied Isa.

“If he can be friends with someone as dumb as you, he can be friends with a beast,” said Uzzi.

“Shut up, Inferno,” snapped Isa. He glared at Uzzi a moment before turning back to Alex. “Are you really serious?”

Alex tucked his black hair behind his ear. “I can show you the tzimin. Even a krokuta.” 

“Wait, aren’t those carnivores?” asked Uzzi.

Isa’s eyes widened with interest. “Alright, we’ll go with you Alex, but you better not be making any of this up. If you are, you have to come down to the abandonded level with us tomorrow night. No sneaking out of it. Promise?” He held out his fist. 

Alex touched his knuckles to Isa’s. “I promise,” he said, though he felt suddenly sick. What had he just agreed to?


	79. Barachiel: 7th Degree of Sun and Moon, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barach's weekend plans with his boyfriend are interrupted when he has to go down and help with an issue in the stables.

Barach woke late, nuzzling Erem’s neck, enjoying the weight of his boyfriend in his arms. He was glad it was the first weekend of the month. Three degrees were too short for Erem to take his little sister back to the ocean, and Barach missed him on the long weekends he was gone.

Erem muttered something sleepily, then curled toward Barach. He wrapped his arm around Barach’s side, draped over his wing with his fingers splayed through his feathers. The feeling was distracting and made Barach’s skin twitch, the way an auroch would if its fur was brushed the wrong way. He tried to pull away, but Erem tightened his hold, pulling him close with fingers digging into Barach’s wings.

Barach looked into Erem’s yellow eyes to find them open and alert. “You’re not sleeping at all,” he said.

“I was, but something woke me.” Erem pressed his leg against Barach’s firm, morning erection. “Good dreams?”

“Always, with you in my arms.”

“I thought you got enough last night.”

“Never,” Barach murmured, kissing along Erem’s collarbone.

“Hmm… We’ll have to see what we can do about that. I want to play with the rope again.”

Barach froze. He looked up into Erem’s intense yellow eyes. “Me or you?”

“You,” Erem said. 

“I don’t really like being tied down, Erem.” 

His boyfriend pouted, the soft purple of his lower lip sticking out. “You know you could break the rope any time you wanted. We’re just playing.”

“The last time we played like that, wrote your name on my chest with your knife.” 

Erem’s lips twitched back in a brief smile. “Not all my name. You broke free before I added ‘-iel’ to the end. Besides, you can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it. I felt your cock inside me while I was carving those letters. And after you broke free, the way you threw me down and fucked me to punish me…” Erem’s breath caught in his throat at the memory, cutting off his words. A purple flush spread across his skin as his body quivered.

Barach stroked his cheek. “I’m not going to let you tie me down just so you can make me angry. It took days for your name to heal, and that’s not something I can pass off as an accident. If you want me to be rough with you, I’ll do it.”

“It’s different when you’re really mad.” Erem turned his face to kiss Barach’s palm. “But that’s not what I want today. We have the whole day together. I want to tie you down, kiss you all over, and ride your cock until I’ve squeezed every last bit of come from your body. Then I’ll do it again, and again, until you’re so weak, you couldn’t break free from the ropes if you wanted to.”

“Then what are you going to do to me?” Barach asked, his voice low and husky.

Smirking, Erem said, “You’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?”

Against his better judgment, Barach would have agreed. Except right then, someone knocked on the door. Both boys froze, waiting and listening. Another knock came and a voice called, “Barachiel? Barachiel, are you there?”

Erem sighed and rolled away from Barach, climbing out of bed to put clothes on. Barach got up and jerked on pants. He fastened them, yanking the laces tight, but the fabric did little to hide his aroused state. He walked over to the door and opened it. 

“What?” he demanded from the Terran boy before him. He recognized his face, but he couldn’t place where.

“Bar-Barachiel?” The boy’s eyes traveled down Barach’s body for a second, then snapped back up to his face. “Ah, ahem, um, Barachiel. Ku-Iannan sent me, about the aurochs.”

“What about the aurochs?” he grumbled.

“They, um, escaped.”

***

Barach finished getting dressed to go help with the roundup. The boy, who Barach realized he recognized from around the stables, had given him all the information and left after Barach informed him he’d be down there as soon as possible. 

While he laced up his boots, Erem paced before him, clearly annoyed that he was leaving. “You said this was my weekend.”

“I’ll be back later, Erem.”

“I knew you were going to do something like this. If it’s not the Hunt, it’s the stupid beasts. Why can’t someone else take care of it?”

“Other people are taking care of it, but Ku-Iannan sent for me. He must need more help. If you want to come, you can, too.” 

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Erem. “Neither are you. If you really loved me, you’d stay.”

Barach finished tying his laces, then stood and kissed Erem’s forehead. “My love for you is not conditional on whether I stay or go. I’ll only be gone a few hours. And tonight, when I return, I’m sure I’ll be covered in bruises, and too tired to put up a fight against whatever you want to do to me.” 

Erem’s fingers curled around the back of Barach’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss. “Promise?” 

“I promise, Erem.” Barach kissed him tenderly, hating to go.

With a sigh, Erem said, “Fine, but come here. I don’t want you to forget.” He took Barach’s hand and walked with him over to the bed. Beneath the mattress were a few lengths of rope in various size and thickness. Erem picked one, a coarse twist of dried plant fibers, and wrapped it around Barach’s wrist a couple times. He tied a knot that would be easier to cut off than untie, then pulled out the blade he always had on him, and severed the ends short. 

“There.”

“It itches, Erem.” Barach rubbed at his wrist, the coarse material scratching his skin.

“Good. Then you’ll remember to come back sooner.” He pointed the knife at Barach. “You’re not allowed to take it off until you keep your promise.”

“I won’t. You’re so needy sometimes, you know that?” He bent and kissed him again. “I’ll be back later.”

“I’ll be here.” Erem sat on the bed, watching forlornly as Barach left. 

***

It was a beautiful, late spring morning, and the flight down to the stables in the valley was quick. The sun was high, nearing its peak, and soft white clouds floated along slowly in the steady breeze. It was the type of spring day that felt like nothing could go wrong, but as Barach approached the stables, he saw that wasn’t the case.

Dust surrounded the valley, so dense it was difficult to see the ground in some places. What Barach could see were broken fences and torn up grass. The angry bellows of aurochs came from the west pasture, but from what Barach could tell, they seemed to be contained.

Barach landed before the stables when he saw the stable master Ku-Iannan waving at him. “Thank the Isten you’re here,” the Homm said.

“What happened? How many aurochs escaped?”

“All of them,” Ku-Iannan said irritably. “They broke through the fence, and the whole herd cut across three pastures, destroying everything in their path. Your Cloudkicker led the charge.”

“No, not Cloudkicker. She wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Don’t tell me I didn’t see what I saw, kid. Those beasts took off like fiends were biting their hackles, and your Cloudkicker took them right into the stables.”

Barach shook his head. It was hard to believe. “Where is she now? I’ll lead the herd back.”

“She in a stall, but we’ve got the rest of the herd corralled,” said Ku-Iannan. “I’ve got students out mending fences and collecting the other beasts that scattered during the auroch stampede.” He huffed. “The beasts are as under control as they can be, considering.”

“So why did you make it sound so urgent that I come down?”

Ku-Iannan thumped his chest. “I can handle a stampede, kid. What I don’t know how to handle is the little fiends who started it. I caught two of them and got them whipped, but the third is an issue. He’s hiding in the stall with your auroch, and I’ll be damned if I can figure out how to get him out.”

“Hiding with…” Barach felt his stomach drop. “Oh, no.” 

“Yeah, you catch on now?”

“It can’t be Alex.”

“I only seen his black hair through your auroch’s legs, but that’s the name the two sniveling fiends I’ve got locked in the office called him.” 

“Can I talk to them?”

“You can do whatever you want, so long as you get that kid out from under the auroch’s hooves before she tramples him. I’ll be lucky if I only loose my job if an Ahnnak dies in my stables.” 

“I got it,” said Barach. “I’ll take care of it.”

“You can’t, and I’m going to have to kill her, kid.”

“I know.” Barach gave the Homm a quick bow, then jogged inside the stables.

It was a disaster in there. The smell of fear and excrement permeated the air from all the beasts still locked in their stalls. Broken planks and divots from the herd’s hooves marred every section of the stables. Barach wove his way through the aisles, listening to the panicked cries of the various beasts while he tracked the path to Cloudkicker.

His auroch was in a stall that was just big enough for her to turn around in. Her horns nearly scraped beams in the ceiling. She stood braced ready for an attack, facing the stall gate. It wasn’t even latched. 

Barach swung the gate open and stood before the auroch. He met her eyes, raising his hands passively. “Hey, Cloudkicker. Easy, girl. It’s just me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Her eyes were wild, no recognition visible. All she saw was danger. Barach looked under her, far in the corner of the stall. He saw a curled up ball of black hair and white wings. “Alex?” he called. Cloudkicker snorted, stomping her rear hoof close enough to the boy that Barach feared she would crush him. Barach backed up a bit, not wanting to set her off. “Alex, can you hear me? It’s me, Barach. Your brother’s friend.” 

Slight movement came from the little boy, but he made no sound. Barach tried again. “I’m here to help. I don’t want to have to go get Gabriel, but I will, if you’d rather talk to him about what happened.”

Black eyes raised, peering out through a tangle of long black hair. Alex didn’t say anything or move more, though. At least Barach knew he had his attention.

“I just want to talk, Alex, but I need you to come out here. If you come talk to me, we don’t have to tell Gabriel about what happened.” 

The little boy’s wings fluttered against his back, then stilled, pulling in tight and making him look even smaller than he was.

This wasn’t working. Barach crossed his legs and sat in the middle of the aisle, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get out of the way in time if Cloudkicker decided to charge. “I just want to help, Alex. You need to trust me.” 

Barach glanced around the aisle, but knew he didn’t have time to worry about whether other people would hear him. Hopefully, no one else was still in the stables. He licked his lips, then very softly began to sing the low, deep melody his mother had taught him from Ista, the broken world the ancestors of the Isten came from.

It was a sad song, whose words Barach didn’t know the meaning of, but it was soothing, too. His mother could sing the harmony properly, with all three notes at the same time, creating the complete chords for the music. Barach could only do the two lower pitches at once, and it had taken him a long time to learn how to do that. It made the song resonate with a melancholy feel, like yearning for a home one would never see again. 

Barach closed his eyes. He never sang like this when anyone could hear him, because it always made him feel exposed and vulnerable, just as he had those months he lay in bed, waiting for his body to be put back together. He had nearly been hollowed out, and there were some days where his mother’s song had been the only thing to fill him as they tried to mend the damage.

After a while, Barach felt the hot breath of the auroch on his face. Her rough tongue swiped out, licking his cheek. Barach stopped singing and opened his eyes, staring up at Cloudkicker. She snorted, calm at last. 

“Good girl,” he said, and reached up to stroke her nose. 

Before her heavy front hooves sat Alex, with his legs folded beneath him. He stared at Barach with black eyes that seemed to swirl in the dusty light. Barach noticed then that the front of Alex’s pale green shirt was stained. It was wet in places, and Alex held his arm against his belly like he was trying to hide the blood that covered his skin.

Barach didn’t want to do anything to scare the little boy now that he’d gotten him so close. Softly, he said, “Cloudkicker needs to rest. She’s very tired, and I don’t want the stable master to hurt her. Can you help me put her in a stall to nap?”

Alex stared at him for a moment. The boy nodded, ever so slightly. Moving with exaggerated calm, Barach stood and held his hand out to Alex. The little boy didn’t take his hand, but he rose to his feet and took a step closer. Cloudkicker turned to sniff Alex, her nose scenting the blood at the front of his shirt. She snorted against him, sending all his black hair billowing behind him. Her tail flicked from side to side, like she was getting agitated. 

For a moment, Barach was worried, but Alex reached up and patted the end of her nose. “I’m okay,” he whispered. 

Cloudkicker calmed and bumped her head against Alex. He rubbed her fur, then gently guided her back into the stall. She lay down, her great horns scratching at the wood, but she was calm. Barach swung the gate shut and ensured it was latched. 

Barach felt like he could breathe again. He turned to Alex. “What happened? How bad are you hurt?” 

Alex faced away from him, the same stubborn set to his jaw that Gabriel got when he wasn’t going to talk. Barach exhaled slowly, trying to keep calm. These brothers were going to be the death of him. “Should I go talk to your friends?” he asked.

There was no answer from the little boy. Maybe Barach would have better luck with the other two. “Come on, Alex. Stay close to me, or you’re going to get in more trouble.”

They walked back through the aisles together to Ku-Iannan’s office. Barach could hear voices within, but they stopped as soon as he touched the key in the door. He turned it and pulled the door open to find the Terran boy Uzzi and another Terran boy Barach didn’t recognize. Both boys were standing, clearly in pain from the whipping Ku-Iannan had given them. 

Uzzi recognized Barach, but the other boy recoiled at his presence, like he thought Barach was there to whip him again. Then, both boys’ attention shifted behind Barach. They exclaimed, “Alex!” and rushed forward.

The black-haired boy went completely still, his eyes vacant as the other two hugged him. “I thought you were dead!” cried Uzzi. “Isa said he saw you run over by an auroch.”

“I didn’t!” the other boy cried. “I knew you were okay. Uzzi said your arm was bitten clear off by the krokuta!”

“I’m fine,” Alex whispered, but he closed his eyes like he was in pain. Barach realized it wasn’t pain, but discomfort from the other boys touching him.

“Break it up. Get off him. I want all of you in the office. You’re going to tell me exactly what happened,” said Barach, ushering them back into Ku-Iannan’s office. He didn’t think the stable master would mind if he used it. 

There was a trunk near the wall Ku-Iannan kept a few personal items in, and Barach pointed to it. “Sit. Start talking.”

Uzzi hesitated. “I-It hurts to sit,” he said. His cheeks were red, probably from crying. Ku-Iannan had said he whipped the two boys, and the Homm had a strong arm. If he believed they started the stampede, he wouldn’t have held back.

“Sit,” Barach repeated. “You can get up when you’ve told me everything.”

The two boys shared a look with each other, but neither decided to argue with Barach again. They both sat on the trunk, sucking in sharp breaths of pain as their weight settled on the fresh welts.

Alex’s pale hand reached out, touching Barach’s arm. “Please,” he whispered, clearly distressed at seeing his friends in pain.

“The faster you boys tell me what happened, the faster they can stand back up. Go sit with them, Alex. Start talking. I want to know how you three started a stampede that almost got Cloudkicker put down.”

The two boys who had already faced their punishment started talking at the same time, their words overlapping in disjointed segments. Barach stopped them, getting a headache almost immediately. “From the beginning,” he said. “You first. What’s your name?”

“Isaiel,” the boy said. “Just Isa, please. We didn’t mean to cause trouble. We came down to see the aurochs.”

“And we did,” said Uzzi. “We even got to ride one.” Barach glanced at Alex, wondering how the little boy ever could have thought that was a good idea. Alex stared down at the floor. His wings trembled behind him. “It was really fun,” Uzzi continued, “and really cool, so we thought we would go see more.”

“We were just looking, until this fire-headed idiot decided to pet the krokuta,” said Isa, motioning toward Uzzi. 

“Hey, you wanted to pet it, too!” Uzzi snapped.

Barach’s heart started to beat faster. “You didn’t.”

Alex glanced up at him, the guilt evident in his eyes. “He was nice,” the little boy said.

“Sure,” said Uzzi. “He was nice to you. As soon as I walked in to pet him, he lunged like he was going to rip my throat out.” Uzzi winced, his inability to sit still and causing him more discomfort than necessary.

“He would have ripped your throat out, if Alex hadn’t saved you,” said Isa. The boy turned to Barach. “Uzzi fell on the ground like he forgot he had wings, and the beast lunged at his face. Alex got between them, but he shoved his arm into the beast’s mouth.”

“There was blood everywhere,” added Uzzi. “The krokuta practically tore his arm off. I thought it was going to eat us all.”

Alex pulled his arm closer to his belly and his blood stained shirt. “He didn’t mean to hurt me,” he said quietly.

“Uzzi and I started screaming for help, but we were here so early, I don’t think anyone else had arrived yet.” Isa nervously licked his lips. “Then the ground started to shake. It was like when a tree falls in a forest, and everything vibrates with the crash, except it was constant, and getting closer.”

“The krokuta still had Alex’s arm in its mouth when it jumped over me and knocked Isa down,” said Uzzi. “It ran off. We would have chased them, but…”

“That’s when the aurochs arrived,” said Isa. “They exploded into the stables, and it was all we could do to hide in one of the stalls. Everything was breaking, and everything was so loud.”

“The first chance we got, we flew out,” said Uzzi. He pouted miserably. “That’s when the stable master caught us.” 

“We tried to explain, but he was so angry,” said Isa. “He locked us in a closet while more people came to take the aurochs back.”

“I thought he was going to leave us there to die. It felt like we were stuck in there forever,” added Uzzi. “When he came back, most the beasts were gone. There were a couple men with him, and they grabbed us before we could fly away. They tied Isa to the post first. He cried so much when the stable master started whipping him.”

“I did not!” Isa exclaimed. “You cried more!”

“It hurt!” Uzzi yelled back. He shoved the other boy, who winced, and then immediately shoved him back. 

“Alright, stop it,” Barach commanded, and the boys each shoved each other once more before obeying him. “You guys start fighting again, and I’m going to go find bricks for you to hold until I’m done with you.” The boys both paled and fell completely still. Barach turned his attention to Alex. “What happened?”

“It’s not their fault,” Alex whispered.

“We’re well past that, Alex. I know it’s not their fault. These two have as much commonsense as the bricks I’m going to have to find because I have no doubt that they’ll start fighting again. This whole situation is your fault.”

“Hey,” Uzzi complained. “Don’t be mean to him.”

Barach raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you boys don’t understand the severity of the situation. The three of you broken dozens of academy rules. I’m going to guess Remi doesn’t know you’re here.” They lowered their eyes, and that was enough confirmation on that. “So, without any supervision or permission, you three decided to sneak out of the academy, ride aurochs, harass dangerous beasts, start a stampede, and damage or destroy nearly the entire property. Not to mention the number of beasts who could have been injured.” 

“We didn’t do it on purpose,” Uzzi whined.

Barach glared at the fiery boy, frustrated by the knowledge that there was probably a time when he and his friends had been that stupid. “Alex, you better start talking, or I’m going to start finding bricks. What happened with the krokuta?”

“He didn’t mean to hurt me,” the boy said. He sniffled. “He was sorry. It wasn’t suppose to happen.”

“Show me your arm.” Barach walked over and held out his hand. Alex hesitated a moment, then pulled his arm out from his shirt and held it up. Barach grabbed his wrist so Alex couldn’t pull away or try to hide while he examined the wound.

It was definitely a krokuta bite, but the wounds were shallow, barely breaking Alex’s skin in some places. There was more bruising than anything, but the teeth had pierced the skin enough to bleed. The bite went from Alex’s elbow to wrist, on both sides of his arm. It could have been much worse.

“What happened after the krokuta ran off?” asked Barach. He needed to know, even if Alex didn’t want to talk about it.

Alex attempted to pull his arm back, but Barach didn’t let go. Big, black eyes started up at him, worried. “He didn’t mean to hurt me,” said Alex, his bottom lip quivering. “He thought the aurochs were dangerous, so he took me and ran.”

“The krokuta bit you, but he didn’t mean to hurt you?”

“He didn’t understand that Uzzi was a friend. He was just trying to keep me safe. That’s why he ran with me out of the stables. But then Cloudkicker came because she thought I was in danger. She smell the blood, and wouldn’t listen. She started stomping and kicking, and she hit him. I fell from his mouth, but he tried to pick me back up.” Alex sniffled. “She would have killed him. I had to tell him to go.”

“Go?”

“I told him to leave the stables,” said Alex.

“Did he?” Barach asked. The little boy nodded. “The krokuta is out there running loose?”

“He won’t hurt anyone.”

“ _Alex_. You cannot keep being this naive.” Frustrated, Barach squeezed Alex’s wrist a little harder than he meant. The boy flinched, but didn’t make a sound. Barach released him the moment he realized what he’d done. Alex pulled his arm to his belly again, pressing it against the bloody fabric of his shirt. His wrist was red, and would probably bruise. 

Barach took a step back and paced the small office. “You three are in so much trouble.”

“Are you going to tell Gabriel?” asked Alex.

“I should.” Barach looked at the boy, who looked more afraid of that then he had anything else. “I won’t, but I should. I’ll talk to Ku-Iannan. See what he wants to do with all of you. Stay here.”

“Can we get up?” Uzzi asked.

“Yes, as long as you stay in the room.” Just to be safe, Barach locked it when he went out. It was hard to believe three little boys could have caused so much damage. It would take weeks, if not months, to repair everything the aurochs had broken. 

Barach found Ku-Iannan by a fence, helping lift a heavy post back into its slot. Barach stepped in to help, taking some of the weight while they guided it into place. When they were done, Ku-Iannan brushed his hands off and led Barach away from the others. 

“You get it done, kid?”

“He’s out. He’s in the office with the other two, and Cloudkicker is locked in a stall.”

“Good. I knew you’d handle it.” Ku-Iannan patted his shoulder. “I’m going to talk to the little fiends.”

“I don’t think they did it on purpose,” Barach said.

Ku-Iannan gave him a look, like that was the stupidest thing he’d heard in years. “You know we haven’t found the krokuta? Of all the beasts we got, we lost our old carnivore. Last anyone saw him, he loped off toward the forest.” The stable master squinted at Barach. “You know what that means? We let loose a dangerous beast among a countryside of Homm farmers and toddlers. I don’t think it matters much whether it was done on purpose or not.”

Barach sighed and nodded. He knew. He also knew what they would have to do to the beast when they finally tracked him down.

They returned to the office. Alex was still sitting on the trunk, staring down at his lap, but Uzzi and Isa were standing beside him. They saw Ku-Iannan, and both boys lowered their heads in scared, respectful bows. 

“We’re really sorry,” Uzzi blurted. “We’ll never do it again.”

“Yeah, I know you won’t, but I doubt you boys really learned your lesson,” said Ku-Iannan harshly. “You’re never allowed to come back here, you understand?” 

“Yes, sir,” said Isa. He bowed again.

Alex looked up, his black eyes filled with anxiety. “N-Never?” he gasped, his voice small.

“I thought you’d have half a lick of sense with the way Barachiel watched over you. I can understand why your friends are so dumb, but you’ve been here before, boy. You knew better.”

With tremblings wings, Alex slid off the trunk and stood before Ku-Iannan. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said. “I won’t cause any trouble ever again. Please let me come back.” 

Barach could see the desperation in Alex’s eyes. He knew how much the little boy enjoyed being around the beasts, but he understood Ku-Iannan’s concern. 

The stable master frowned down at Alex, despite the little boy’s wide, pitiful eyes and quivering lower lip. “You’re nothing but trouble. I’ve never seen an auroch guard something like that that wasn’t her own kid. And I saw you in that stall. You’re just this side of wild yourself.”

Tears filled Alex’s eyes as he stared up at Ku-Iannan. “Please,” he begged, the single word trying to convey the multitude of emotions Alex didn’t know how to voice on his own. 

Ku-Iannan stared down at Alex, trying to remain unswayed by the little boy, but Barach saw when the Homm cracked. With a scowl, Ku-Iannan repeated, “Nothing but trouble.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Only time you’re allowed down here is with Barachiel as your chaperon. He’s busy, you don’t come, got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Alex said, nodding quickly. 

“Now, I’m not forgiving what you did today. You’re in serious trouble. Your friends took their whippings. You still got yours coming to you.”

Barach stepped forward. “Ku, wait-”

“Barachiel, I like you, kid, but those are the rules.”

“He’s just a little kid-”

“Big enough to get into this type of trouble, big enough to take his punishment.”

Barach would have argued more, but Alex said, “It’s okay. It’s fair. I deserve it.”

Nodding, the stable master said, “Come on. Let’s get it over with.” He stepped out the door, and Alex followed him. To Uzzi and Isa he said, “You little fiends come, too. You can watch, and maybe next time you’ll think before doing something so stupid.”

Barach motioned for Uzzi and Isa to follow the stable master, then walked behind them. He wasn’t any happier about this than the boys were, but it wasn’t like a whipping would kill Alex. The other two had already taken their punishment. They would all have two or three days, at most, to be reminded of their stupidity, then they’d be healed. It was a fair punishment, considering what they’d done.

Still, Barach felt anxious as he followed them out of the stables to the post. Ku-Iannan had Uzzi and Isa stand by the wall, where they could watch everything, but not interfere. He removed the whip from the hook by the door.

“Help him,” the stable master told Barach. 

He meant help secure Alex to the post to be whipped. Barach’s stomach dropped. If Gabriel ever found out about this, he’d kill him. He swallowed hard. “Come on, Alex.” 

Obediently, Alex walked with Barach over to the post. With a blank expression, the boy looked up at the rope hanging from the top. The loop at the end had already been adjusted closer to the other boys’ heights. Whoever had helped Ku-Iannan before would have slipped the Uzzi or Isa’s wrists into the loop and tightened it before pulling the rope taut. The boys would have stood there, facing the post, their mobility limited while they endured their punishment. Their wings would have been the only things they had to keep out of the way, but they only would have made the mistake of lowering them once. 

Barach was about to give Alex instructions on what to do, when the little boy stepped forward. He stood on his toes and slipped his hands inside the rope, his grey-nailed fingers clinging to each side of the loop. Alex balanced on the balls of his feet, letting the weight of his body stretch his arms tight. He raised his wings up over his head as he pressed his forehead against the wooden post and closed his eyes. 

The resigned familiarity of Alex’s movements made Barach’s chest ache. He knew Gabriel and Remiel had done everything they could to keep Alex out of trouble at the academy, so where had he learned this? Why was he so calm about it?

“How old is he?” Ku-Iannan called from the other side of the yard.

“Ten,” Barach replied, though he wished he could say younger. 

“Stay with him.”

Barach heard the swish of the braided leather cord as Ku-Iannan uncoiled it, giving a few practice cracks of the whip. Barach crouched before Alex, on the other side of the post. He wasn’t worried about getting hit. The stable master was skilled. He wouldn’t miss.

“Alex, I’m here with you,” Barach said softly, peering up into the little boy’s face. 

Black eyes opened, staring through black strands of hair. There was no emotion in his eyes. “Does he want me to cry?” 

The question caught Barach by surprise. “You can cry if you need to, Alex,” he replied, because he wasn’t sure what else to say. 

“Ten lashes. Ready?” 

“Yes,” Alex whispered. 

“Ready,” Barach called.

The first lash came, the crack of the whip splitting the air as it fell across Alex’s back. The boy jumped, startled by the pain, but he didn’t make a sound. His lips moved, forming a word, and it took Barach a second to figure out what he was doing. 

_One._

The second lash fell across the first, just below Alex’s wings. Barach knew Ku-Iannan’s pattern. He struck high while the person still had the focus to hold up their wings. Alex’s wings didn’t move at all as he mouthed, _Two._

At the third strike, Alex’s lip began to quiver. _Three._

With the fourth, tears filled Alex’s eyes. _Four_. 

Barach couldn’t stop staring at his face. When the fifth lash came, Barach knew he had a problem. Tears dropped down Alex’s cheeks, and the boy gave the tiniest, hiccup of a sob. 

_Shit_. He was so fucking cute when he cried. 

Barach swallowed hard. _Gabriel is going to kill me, Gabriel is going to kill me_ , he thought over and over, but he said, “Half way. You’re almost done, Alex, just hang on a little longer.” 

_Six._

_Seven_. 

By eight, Alex was whimpering in choked little gasps. The tears dripped freely down his cheeks. His little hands clenched the rope tighter as he squirmed slightly, swaying on his toes. 

_Nine._

When they cried, Alex and Gabriel looked so much alike. Gabriel had always been so stubborn, but when Barach finally broke him down, the tears had dripped down his cheeks and his lip had quivered just like his little brother’s. It was terrible that when Barach saw those tears, he wanted nothing more than to be the only one to make them cry like that. 

Before that moment, it was easy to pretend he didn’t miss Gabriel as much as Erem, but the truth was, he did, and it wasn’t something that was going to go away easy.

_Ten._

Barach immediately stood and removed Alex’s hands from the rope. The boy started to drop, but Barach caught him, pulling him to his chest.

Sniffling, Alex lowered his wings. He leaned against Barach, his shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress his tears. Welts crisscrossed down Alex’s backside, five down and five up, spread evenly from his back to thighs. 

Ku-Iannan coiled the leather whip as he approached. Barach tapped Alex’s arm, and the boy looked back. He sniffled again, then moved away from Barach to stand on his own. Alex bowed to the approaching Homm. He swayed like he was going to fall, and Barach was prepared to catch him, but Alex kept his feet. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” the little boy said.

“Ah, stand up,” said Ku-Iannan. “I’ve seen grown men not take a whipping good as you, kid. Go on. The way your friends were whining, you’d think they were the ones up there again.” He waved Alex off to go join Uzzi and Isa. 

Alex bowed once more, then walked toward his friends, each step stiff and sore. Uzzi and Isa waited until Alex was about half way between them and Ku-Iannan before they ran over, surrounding him with concern and sympathy.

Barach watched for a moment, before he turned his attention to Ku-Iannan. The stable master said, “I don’t want to see those kids around here for a while. You understand?”

“Yeah, Ku. I’ll keep track of them.”

Ku-Iannan crossed his arms over his chest. “I know you’re busy with the Hunt now, but I’m going to need you to figure out something with your auroch. She’s got no fear of Homm or Terran, and you’ve got her trained up like a pet. She’ll lead the herd through the fences again if she gets it in her head.”

“Keep her separate for now. I’ll think of something,” said Barach.

“You better, cause my other options aren’t so great for her.” The stable master sighed heavily, suddenly looking older and more tired than Barach remembered him being. “Go on now. Get those boys out of my sight. I’m done with you all.”

After giving the Homm a quick bow, Barach walked over to Alex and his friends to inform them it was time to go. As he approached, he heard Isa say, “I think I’ve had enough adventure for a while.” Alex and Uzzi both nodded in agreement, though Barach doubted the three of them would really stay out of trouble for long.


	80. Remiel: 7th Degree of Sun and Moon, 595 DE

When Remiel saw Alex, Uzzi, and Isa being escorted before Barach, he knew, immediately, that they had done something wrong. When he saw the miserable looks on their faces, he knew they’d already received some of their punishment for it. 

“I’ve been looking for you all morning!” Remiel found himself yelling, far too loud for the stone corridor they stood in. “I was about to alert the Headmaster! Where were you three?!”

Then Barach explained, and Remiel was certain he hadn’t yelled loud enough. He couldn’t believe they’d done something so irresponsible. How could all three of them together be so much stupider than any one of them alone?

Remiel and Barach returned the troublemakers to their room. “Are you going to tell the headmaster?” asked Isa while he tried to look apologetic.

“Ku-Iannan will submit a report, but I doubt he’ll use your names,” Barach told them. “It’s common for the stable master to keep his business to himself, though with the amount of damage caused, he’ll have to report something.”

“So… we’re not in more trouble?” asked Uzzi.

“Oh, you’re in trouble,” Remiel said. “You three will remain in this room for the foreseeable future. I’m grounding you all.” 

“You can’t do that!” Isa exclaimed. “You’re not my matron!”

Remiel raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t like my rules? You can go tell the headmaster what you did.”

Isa gulped. “I-I guess it’s fair…”

Alex, who lingered by Barach, was the only one who hadn’t said anything since they came back. Remiel had a feeling the boy was in shock. He would have to take him aside and speak with him later, but for the moment, Remiel knew he didn’t have the patience. He was still too upset about the whole situation himself.

“Thank you for bringing them back,” Remiel told Barach. “Probably not the way you planned on spending your weekend, huh?”

Barach touched a piece of rope tied around his wrist. “Not really, no.” 

Remiel always tried to stay alert to shifts in fads and fashions, but a rope like that was odd. It didn’t seem like it would be very comfortable to wear, and he’d never seen Barach wear bracelets before. “What is that?” Remiel asked. 

“It’s a reminder,” Barach said. “A promise I need to keep, though I may end up changing the rules of the game.”

“Game? Oh, for the Hunt?”

The stoic Ahnnak smiled a bit. “Not quite. But I better go. You got them from here?”

Remiel nodded. “I do. These little miscreants are going to spend the rest of the day scrubbing this room from top to bottom.”

With a groan, Uzzi cried, “Remi! That’s not fair! I’m so tired. We’ve been up since before dawn.”

“Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you all decided to run off and nearly get yourselves killed.” 

Uzzi groaned again, walking over to dramatically flop face first onto Isa’s bed. Remiel wasn’t going to let them off that easy.

Alex tugged at the hem of Barach’s shirt. “Are you going to tell my brother?” he asked quietly.

Barach crouched before the black-haired boy. “How about this? I’ll never tell him, if you promise never to tell him.”

Nodding, Alex said, “I promise.”

Awkwardly, Remiel asked, “Are, um, you and Gabriel speaking again?”

Glancing over, Barach said, “No, not at the moment.” He stood back up and ruffled Alex’s black hair. “Still, I don’t think he would handle this well. I wouldn’t be surprised if he blamed everyone.”

Barach was probably right about that. Since Gabriel moved into his own room, he had become distant and even more short-tempered than usual. Remiel wasn’t sure why the three boys weren’t speaking to each other anymore, but it hadn’t improved Gabriel’s personality at all. The silver-haired Ahnnak was getting worse, to the point that, unless Alex specifically requested to go, Remiel didn’t offer to take him to see his brother anymore.

If Gabriel found out about what happened to Alex at the stables, Remiel had no doubt the temperamental boy would explode. Remiel didn’t feel like getting punched again, so he had no problem hiding it from him.

Alex gazed up at Barach, his black eyes unreadable. “Will you come back for me?” he asked softly.

A brief smile twitched at the corner of Barach’s mouth as he looked down at the little boy. “When everything has been repaired at the stables. You better stay out of trouble, though. I don’t want to hear about anyone else making you cry like that.”

“I’ll be good,” Alex promised.

Barach patted his head again, then walked toward the door. “See you around. Good luck, Remi.”

“Thanks, I’ll need it,” Remiel replied, and closed the door after Barach. He turned to the boys. “You three are in so much trouble. What were you thinking?”

“It was an accident, Remi,” said Uzzi. “We didn’t mean to do anything.”

“You decided to sneak out of the academy before sunrise. That doesn’t sound very innocent.”

“We were just going to see the aurochs,” said Isa. 

“Alone? You are only ten years old. None of you should ever leave this academy alone, especially not to go play around dangerous beasts. Whose idea was it?” he asked.

Isa pointed at Alex. “His. I just wanted to go watch people kiss.” 

Remiel stared at him a moment, his green eyes wide. “You what?”

Flustered, Isa said, “I didn’t mean- It wasn’t- They’re just rumors. We weren’t going to do anything.”

Uzzi pushed himself off the bed and walked over to shove Isa. “You’re such a liar. You’re the one who wanted to go! You said you wanted an adventure.”

Isa shoved Uzzi back. “It’s your fault the krokuta bit Alex. None of this would have happened if you weren’t so dumb!”

Remiel marched over and grabbed them both by the backs of their necks and pulled them apart. The boys winced, but it wasn’t because of his grip. Barach said they’d all been whipped. Any sudden movement doubtlessly hurt.

“No more fighting. No more complaining. You boys are going to be on your best behavior for the next month, and I’m not letting you out of my sight. Got it?”

“Yeah, got it,” said Isa.

Uzzi pouted. “Why are you so mean, Remi?”

“It’s me or your sister, Uzziel.”

“You,” the boy said gloomily. 

Remiel released them, and the boys stood there demurely. “I may have to go get her anyway. How bad are you all injured?”

“It hurts a lot,” said Uzzi. “Worse than the time I accidentally set the table on fire in class.”

“I thought the stable master was going to peel the skin from my back,” said Isa. “I’ve never been whipped like that before, not even by my uncle when I ruined his saw blade.”

Remiel sighed. “Turn around. Let me see.” 

Both boys turned and opened their wings. Remiel crouched behind them. He could feel the heat radiating from their skin, but there was no blood on their clothing. “Can you take off your shirts?” he asked. The boys did without complaint. The fabric dropped away to reveal the thick welts, in near perfect X’s, evenly spaced down their backs. Additional marks continued beneath the edge of their pants. 

“Well, neither of you are bleeding,” said Remiel. “I think you’ll be fine in a few days.”

“But it hurts to sit,” said Uzzi. “What if we’re not healed before classes start?”

“It’ll give you something to remember, won’t it?” Remiel stood. He turned to Alex. “How about you? How’s your arm?”

The black-haired boy looked away from him. He held his arm against his stomach, like he was trying to hide it. Remiel could see the blood stain down the front of his shirt, but it had been dry a while. He walked over, knowing how difficult this was going to be.

“Let me see your arm, Alexiel.” The boy shook his head and turned away from him. “Do you want to go see the medic?” Alex shook his head again, his black hair swaying around his face with the quick movement. “Then I need to see how hurt you are.”

Alex hesitated a few seconds longer before turning toward Remiel. He held out his arm. He wasn’t bleeding anymore, but there were hollow indents in his skin. The wounds were shallow, but the shape of teeth where unmistakable. The beast that bit Alex must have been huge. It was amazing he wasn’t injured more than he was.

Remiel touched Alex’s arm gently as he turned it from side to side, examining the damage. Alex watched him with a little pout on his lips. Besides the bite, there was a ring of bruises around Alex’s wrist. Poor kid. He had been through a lot today. Remiel hated seeing him hurt. Seeing any of them hurt. “We need to get you cleaned up, but you’re not bleeding anymore,” said Remiel. “It might be good if Sophie looks at you. How’s your back?”

Isa chimed in, “Alex barely made a sound when the stable master whipped him. I don’t think he got hit as hard.” 

“He’s just not a baby like you,” Uzzi retorted.

“You cried louder than I did,” Isa snapped.

“Boys, enough,” said Remiel. They quieted again. Remiel focused on Alex. “Can I see?”

Alex shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“You’re going to need to change shirts anyway. Let me look.” Alex glanced at his friends. Remiel knew Alex didn’t like getting undressed before them, but that didn’t really matter at the moment. “Do you need help taking it off?”

With a sigh, Alex said, “No. I can do it.” He turned, his trembling wings opening as he untied the knot across his belly and let the ends of the fabric fall loose. 

The pale surface of Alex’s back was marred by thick welts, just as the other boys had been, but his were much more recent. His skin was bright red and swollen. Remiel noticed wet fabric at the waist of Alex’s thin leggings. 

“There’s a little blood. I need to look lower,” he said. Alex flinched as Remiel touched his hip and peeled the damp fabric from the wound. He exposed part of the boy’s pale bottom as he examined the still bleeding welt. The whip hadn’t cut deep, but the skin had broken. It had almost stopped.

“Fuck,” Isa gasped.

Remiel looked back. Both the other boys were staring intently at the marks on Alex’s pale back and exposed hip. Alex lowered his small wings, hiding himself as best he could while his cheeks flushed. Remiel adjusted Alex’s pants so they covered him again.

“That’s enough. Watch your language. I want you two go start cleaning this room,” Remiel commanded while standing. “Alex, go lay in your bed. I’m going to go get Sophie.”

Uzzi blinked rapidly, like he was coming out of a daze. “Wait, do you have to?”

“She needs to look at that bite.”

“I’m fine,” Alex protested.

Remiel pointed to the top bunk. “Alexiel, you don’t get to argue with me about this. Go lay down.” Sullenly, Alex did as he was told, flying up to hide behind the blanket they’d tacked to the ceiling of his bunk.

“I’m getting Sophie,” Remiel told Isa and Uzzi, “but I don’t think she’ll do anything to help you boys with your backs.”

The boys shared look. For a second, Remiel thought they were going to start complaining again, but then Uzzi said, “Not even Alex?”

“What?”

Isa rubbed the back of his head like he was embarrassed. “I mean, it’s not really fair, is it? He’s so much smaller than us. He’s practically like a girl.”

Uzzi nodded. “If she’s going to come anyway, can you ask her to heal him? Even if she doesn’t heal us?” 

“I mean, I wouldn’t say ‘no’ if she wanted to heal me, too, but I agree with Uzzi. I’m tough, and Uzzi is too stupid to feel pain-”

“Hey!”

“-But Alex…”

Uzzi glared at Isa a moment, then turned back to Remiel. He sighed, his wings giving an apprehensive flutter. “But Alex… He doesn’t deserve this. Will you ask her?”

Remiel looked between the two young boys. They were just full of surprises today. “I’ll see,” he said. “No promises.”

From the top bunk, Alex peered around the edge of the blanket, his thin, black eyebrows furrowed as he stared down at his friends. He looked confused, maybe even a little frustrated. Remiel would have to talk to him alone later, help him work out his feelings, but for now, he needed to get Sophie.

He gave Uzzi and Isa simple tasks to do to keep them busy until he came back, then left the room. Remiel had a feeling it was going to be a couple days before he could get Alex to relax and open up with him again. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. 

Remiel hated being hard on any of them, especially Alex, but for as long as the headmaster had him assigned to the boy, it was his responsibility to keep him safe. It had just been easier when the boys weren’t big enough to go looking for trouble.


	81. Alex: 7th Degree of Sun and Moon, 595 DE

When Sophie arrived, she had Remiel take Uzzi and Isa out of the room so she could work on Alex in peace. She instructed Alex to take off his clothes and lay on his belly on the cold stone floor. He lay shivering, the tremors making everything ache, while Sophie positioned herself at his side. 

The familiar warmth of Sophie’s healing energy soon surrounded Alex, seeping into his skin. He stopped shivering. When Sophie healed him, she didn’t just focus on his body. She didn’t put him to sleep, like the other medics did, either. Her energy seeped into his mind, numbing him, until nothing mattered anymore.

Alex exhaled, completely relaxed, as Sophie touched the wounds on his arm. 

“How does that feel?” she asked softly, her voice as soothing as her touch.

“Better,” Alex said. He felt like his blood was filled with sunlight. Everything was soft and wonderful, like he was flying.

“Remi told me how you boys got hurt. Why did you do it?”

Alex could feel the tugs of her energy in his arm, like she was weaving his torn muscle back together. “I didn’t want to watch anyone kiss,” he explained.

“Kiss?”

“Isa wanted to. I think Uzzi did, too,” Alex murmured. His eyes felt heavy. The room was blurry through the yellow glow that surrounded him. 

“They wanted to kiss someone?” Sophie asked.

“They wanted to watch.” Alex wiggled his fingers. They felt like they weren’t attached to his hand. He wondered if his fingers would float away if he let them go. 

“Who did they want to watch?”

“I don’t know,” said Alex. “Everyone, maybe.”

Heat seared Alex’s arm, too hot. He would have pulled away, except his body wouldn’t respond to any of his thoughts. Sophie’s healing energy was concentrated, mending his skin, close to the nerves that made everything hurt. 

“Ow,” Alex whimpered. 

“Sorry, honey. I stretched myself too thin.” The heat receded, and the warm glow filled Alex’s head again. His body eased back into weightless sunlight.

“That’s as much as I can do on your arm. There were a lot of punctures.”

“He had a lot of teeth.”

“I’m going to start working on your back, Alex. I’m moving your wing.” While she spoke, he felt her touch his wing and drape it up over his shoulder. “Relax. Keep it there.”

Alex doubted he could move it if he wanted to. “It’s better than electricity,” he mumbled. 

“What is?”

“Floating in sunlight. It doesn’t hurt.”

Sophie chuckled. “Oh, yes. I forgot that’s what you said my healing energy feels like.”

“It’s soft. I wish I could drown myself in sunlight all the time. I could pour it into my blood and forget.”

“You say the silliest things when you’re sedated, Alex. Just relax. I’m going to start on your back.”

Light fingers traced the ten lines across Alex’s back, butt, and thighs, like Sophie was accessing the damage before she started to work. 

“It’s not fair,” Alex said with a sigh. 

“What isn’t?” 

“They think I’m a girl.”

“Who does?” 

“Uzzi. Isa.” 

“They know you’re a boy, honey,” said Sophie. Her touch grew warmer. Stitches of energy sealed the splits in his skin on his legs. 

“They want you to heal me because I’m not as tough as them.”

“You’re the toughest boy I know,” Sophie replied. “Don’t worry about what those two idiots think. You’ll find a nice boyfriend one day.”

“Boyfriend?” The word pierced through the yellow haze and made Alex’s wing spasm, bumping against Sophie. 

He felt trapped, paralyzed in his own body. He couldn’t remember how to breathe.

“Hush, calm down, honey. It’s okay.” Sophie reached up, placing a hand against Alex’s head. His wings immediately fell slack as the soothing yellow haze invaded his thoughts. 

“I don’t want a boyfriend,” Alex murmured before falling back into that weightless sunlight. Everything was wonderful and soft once more. 

Sophie sighed with relief. “It’s okay, honey. Remi told me. I didn’t mean to mention it before you were ready to talk. Just forget I said anything.”

“Okay… About what?” Alex asked, feeling like his whole body was bouncing with every throb of his heart. 

“I’ll be here whenever you need to talk. You can trust me.” The heat of Sophie’s healing energy was on Alex’s back again, moving over the welts from the whip. “I’m almost done. It won’t be perfect, but I’m going to look after Uzzi and Isa, too. I need to conserve some of my energy for them.”

“Good,” said Alex. “They’re not that tough.”

Sophie laughed. “No, they’re not.” The heat started to recede from Alex’s skin. The ten welts were still there, and tender to touch, but were no longer split or inflamed. 

When Sophie withdrew her energy from Alex, he felt a piece of her linger behind, like a soft yellow hum at the back of his mind. It would dissipate slowly over the next couple hours, keeping him relaxed while his body picked up the healing efforts. 

Sophie helped Alex dress in soft, loose clothes, then wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in his bed. “Relax,” she said. “It’s okay to sleep.”

Nodding, Alex closed his eyes, and did just that.

***

Alex woke, a jolt of anxiety shooting through him. He couldn’t move his wings. He was trapped. He started to struggle, hoping to break free of his confinement before anyone found him. Then, the blanket opened and fell away from him.

Breathing heavy, Alex flung the blanket to the far end of the bunk and sat up. He stared down at his arm, at the white spots on his skin lined up like teeth, and he remembered where he was and why. 

Sophie’s energy had faded from his mind. Besides that, he couldn’t remember what she had done to him. He didn’t hurt as much, so he calculated she sped up his healing by a couple days. 

Alex peered over the edge of his high bunk. Uzzi lay in the pit on his belly, his back bare and a loose wrap of fabric the only thing around his waist. He was reading, kicking his feet and twitching his wings, hardly appearing aware of the dark lines on his skin. 

“Hey,” Isa called, his voice coming from the lowest bunk directly below Alex. “Throw me another fruit.”

“Get up and get it yourself,” said Uzzi, not looking back at him. 

“You’re closer. Just throw it. Or do you not know how to aim?”

“I can aim as good as the Homm that whipped your ass.”

“Listen, crybaby, he got you, too. Just throw me a damn apple.”

“Get it yourself. It’ll be an _adventure._ ” Uzzi turned the page of his book. 

Isa grumbled something low and unpleasant, then got off his bed and walked across the room. He was dressed the same at Uzzi, only wearing a thin sash of material around his waist. The same dark lines crossed his back, barely raised. He moved like they still hurt, but nowhere near the limping he had been doing in the stables. He opened the basket sitting on the desk, and picked out a piece of fruit. 

“Remi could have at least brought us dessert.”

“Axe, I think we’re lucky he’s feeding us at all.” 

“Yeah, well, this sucks.” Isa turned to walk back to his bed, but looked up and saw Alex watching them. “Oh, Alex. You’re awake.”

Uzzi sat up. “How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Remiel brought some fruit for dinner.”

“It’s dinner?” Alex asked. He couldn’t tell if he was hungry or not. Since he hadn’t eaten all day, he assumed he was.

“It’s past third dinner,” said Uzzi. “But we’re not allowed to leave this room, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“Did Sophie heal you, too?”

“Yeah,” said Uzzi, rolling his eyes. “I can at least sit without feeling like I’m going to die, but she said she was going to tell our mom and dad about what happened. I might as well be dead now.”

“You’re being dramatic,” said Isa. “Alex, you want me to toss up an apple?” He held up the fruit in his hand.

“No. I’ll come down.” The movement hurt a little, but he slipped off the edge and used his wings to slow his fall. He landed lightly and walked over to peer into the basket. 

Just fruit. No breads or vegetables. Alex sighed and picked out another an apple. Apparently, fruit were sweet, too, and he just couldn’t tell. He bit into it and walked over to sit next to Uzzi in the pit.

Uzzi marked his place with a feather and closed his book. “How’s your arm?”

Alex showed him while he chewed. The marks from the teeth were white, practically healed. They would fade quickly.

“I still can’t believe that beast bit you,” said Isa. He came over and sat on the pillows across from them. “I really thought you were dead.”

“He didn’t mean to hurt me,” Alex replied. “It was my fault.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Uzzi said. His fingers lightly touched the white marks on Alex’s skin. “We shouldn’t have been there at all.” 

“I’m sorry,” Alex replied softly. Uzzi’s warm touch made his skin tingle, even the light sensation nearly too much. He resisted the urge to pull away, and let his friend continue to examine the scars.

“No, that wasn’t your fault either.” Uzzi’s fiery eyes turned on Isa. “It was yours.”

“Mine?!” Isa exclaimed. His wings snapped open, his feathers splayed and tense. 

“You wanted to have an adventure.”

“I wanted to watch people kiss. Going down to the valley was all Alex’s idea.”

“We wouldn’t have gone if you hadn’t insisted.”

“Whatever! You wanted to go, too!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to get whipped.”

Isa rolled his eyes. “Then next time, we better not get caught.”

“Next time?” asked Alex, surprised.

Uzzi huffed. “No way. I’m not doing anything like that again.”

“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me you didn’t have a little fun.” Isa poked Uzzi’s leg a couple of times before Uzzi swatted his hand away.

“We nearly died, Isa.”

“But it was fun. It’s going to be an amazing story.”

Uzzi shook his head, but there was a quirk to the corner of his mouth, like he was trying not to smile. “We’ll see. You can ask me again in a few days when every move doesn’t hurt.”

With a grin, Isa said, “Maybe next time, we can check out the abandonded level.”

Alex sighed and ate more of his apple. Having friends was turning out to be a lot more difficult than he thought.


	82. Barachiel: 10th Degree of Sun and Moon, 595 DE

“Grab your weapons,” Lorcasiel announced, striding into the locker room. “We’re not practicing today. A beast attacked a child this weekend and was last seen entering the western forest. Headmaster Iscriel has asked us to deal with it.”

Dismayed, Barach closed his eyes and thudded his head against his locker. This was not what he needed today. 

Ku-Vox, the Homm boy Duke wanted on his squad to replace Dien, was standing at the locker next to him. He gave Barach a strange look.

“What type of beast?” asked Vice-Captain Cariel from the other side of the locker room.

“Krokuta,” Barach muttered under his breath.

“A krokuta,” said Lorcasiel. Vox turned to give Barach another strange look. The Homm had been the only one close enough to hear his muttered answer.

“Carnivore, right?” Cariel asked. “Cave dweller or plains runner?”

“I don’t know,” said the captain. “It’s the beast partially responsible for the stampede in the Archridge valley stables this weekend.”

“Is the child okay?” asked Pon-Pon, clearly worried. Zoldias rubbed her back comfortingly.

Lorcasiel shrugged. “Headmaster Iscriel didn’t have a lot of information for me. We know the beast has been running through Homm farms for three days. If it attacked a person once, it’s only a matter of time before it does it again.”

Barach thumped his head against the locker again, hard enough that other people noticed besides Vox. “He’s fine,” Barach groaned.

“What did you say?” Lorcas asked, approaching.

Barach stood up straight, rolling his head on his shoulders. “I said, ‘He’s fine.’ The boy who was bitten. It barely even broke his skin.”

“Oh, good,” said Pon-Pon, sighing with relief.

Lorcas grabbed Barach’s shoulder and turned him around. “You know the kid?”

“Yeah, and I know the beast, too.” He shook his head. He didn’t want to be a part of this. “I can’t hunt him.”

“You’ll do as I tell you, just as I do as I’m told,” Lorcas said, irritated. “The Hunt has been ordered to destroy the beast, and either you can share what you know of it, or you can send your teammates out into the woods blind, with a dangerous carnivore who could kill any one of us. Where do your loyalties lie, Ahnnak?”

Barach looked away from the captain. “He’s not going to kill any of you. He’s too old to put up a fight.”

Lorcasiel grabbed Barach and slammed him against the lockers. Barach winced, though not because of anything the captain had done. He was still feeling a little sore after his weekend with Erem, though not nearly as sore as his boyfriend. Erem hadn’t even gone to class today. In fact, he was probably still curled up in a nest of blankets in bed, a satisfied ache through his whole body. Barach smiled slightly at the thought.

“Do you think this is a joke?” demanded the captain. 

Barach focused. “No, Captain.”

“I don’t care if you think he’s too old. Tell me everything you know.”

Barach sighed heavily. “The krokuta is from the cave dwelling line. He’s about this high at the shoulder-” Barach raised his hand over his head, “and he was brought into the stables after he was injured falling from a cliff about seven years ago. He limps when he runs, but it doesn’t affect his speed, just his gait.”

Lorcas glared at Barach, his grey eyes sharp. Then he pushed away from him. “We’re leaving in ten minutes. Second line, too. Homm, if you don’t have a flight matched, get it figured out, or stay behind.” The captain stomped off. 

After grabbing her sword, Cariel ran after him. Wing Commander Duke slung his bag of weapons over his shoulder and followed.

“You heard the captain,” said Titan, the ground commander. “Get it together.” He started walking among the team as they prepared, checking harnesses and weapons.

Barach opened his locker and stared at his gear. The wooden weapons were pointless. He closed the door again. He didn’t even want to go.

Vox’s annoying face intruded into his view. “You’re not matched with anyone yet, are you?”

Barach glared at the Homm. “I’m not flying you to the forest. I’m not even going to go.” 

“You have to.”

“I don’t.” 

“Won’t the captain be mad?”

“When isn’t he mad?” Barach turned away from Vox and started walking from the locker room. The Homm followed along. 

“C’mon Barach, I need to go. This is my chance to show everyone I belong on the team.”

“Duke wants you to be a bruiser. Killing beasts isn’t part of that description.”

“But like, if the beast lunged at someone, and I was heroically there to step in and save them? That’d count for something, wouldn’t it?”

“The krokuta isn’t going to be lunging at anyone. He’s probably hiding in a cave, scared and hungry.”

“Ah, see, that’s great! If you’re with me, I’ll totally be able to find it.”

Barach scowled. He marched across the enclave toward the training grounds and the racks of practice weapons. Even blunted weapons would be better than the wooden weapons in his gear.

Vox jogged up beside him. “Please, Barach, help me out? I’ll owe you.”

“There is absolutely no way I am carrying you to the forest,” Barach stated.

A voice thrown from a distance shouted, “Barach! Carry Ku-Vox to the forest!” 

Barach looked around the enclave for a second before spotting Lorcasiel, up in the lounge overlooking the practice field. Duke stood beside him, staring down at Barach and Vox. 

“What?!” Barach shouted back.

“You heard me!” Lorcasiel called. “That’s an order!”

“Yes!” Vox hissed, jumping up and down. 

“You’re fucking walking back,” Barach grumbled, and handed the Homm one of the blunted spears.

***

Barach flew with Ku-Vox clinging to him like a parasite. The Homm’s legs were wrapped around his waist and his arms around his neck. Barach carried the spears, because it was all Vox could do to hang on. 

“Oh, Isten, I’m gonna die,” Vox said, holding tight to Barach as he pressed his face against his shoulder. 

“You’re not going to die,” Barach replied, sending the words to Vox in a way the Homm couldn’t seem to manage. It was simple vocal projection. Any adolescent flight student could do it. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d never flown?”

“I didn’t think it would matter!” Vox shouted over the wind, because he was an idiot. 

Barach shifted onto a new air current, soaring up drastically so he could coast in the higher drafts. Apparently, Vox thought they were going to fly into the sun. He yelped at the sudden shift in direction. His legs tightened around Barach’s hips as his fingers dug into his back. 

Pain shot through Barach as Vox found one of the deep gouges Erem left in his back with his nails yesterday. There were similar marks across Barach’s chest and hips, as well as numerous bruises and bite marks, all courtesy of Erem. Even the white bandage around Barach’s wrist was due to Erem, since his boyfriend insisted he wear that rough rope until this morning. It had left a very obvious rope burn that he would just have to keep covered until it healed. 

Somehow, Vox’s panicked squirming was able to irritate every one of Barach’s injuries at once. It pissed him off.

“I swear on the Isten if you don’t loosen your fucking hold, I’m going to drop you,” Barach growled at the Homm.

“I can’t,” Vox said, shaking. “I think I’m stuck.”

A day with an easy practice. That’s all Barach had asked for. Just one day to recover. 

“You touch my wings and you’re dead.”

Vox nodded, holding tight to him. Barach flew on, approaching the forest as fast as he could. Most of the team was already there, standing near a large stone by the edge of the trees. A path lead into the forest, disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

Barach angled down, dropping from the air until he had to pull up abruptly to land. It was difficult with Vox’s extra weight, but nothing he couldn’t handle. 

Vox, however, screamed the whole damn time.

When they landed, Barach threw down the spears and grabbed Vox’s hair, pulling his head back. He glared at him, the boy’s face intimately close. “Get the fuck off me,” he said, no longer projecting his voice, though his tone left no room to doubt his severity. 

Slowly, Vox’s legs disentangled themselves from around Barach’s waist. As soon as his feet touched the ground, a look of relief filled the Homm’s eyes. “Thank the Isten. _Land_.” Barach released Vox’s hair, shoving him away. The Homm bowed down, pressing his hands into the dirt. “I swear I’ll never pray for wings again.”

“Great of you to join us,” Lorcasiel said, annoyed. Duke stood beside him with his arms crossed, frowning at Ku-Vox like he was disappointed in the display. 

“You could have gone on without us,” Barach said. “I don’t need to hear your pre-game pep talk.”

Lorcas’ eyes narrowed. “Shut up, rookie. Go stand in line with the secondary team.”

It had been a while since Lorcas called Barach a rookie. He was almost offended. He picked up the spears, glaring at Lorcas the whole while, then went to stand with the dozen other students not on the core team. 

Mikkon, the Terran boy who would have made a great tracker if he’d had any endurance, smiled up at Barach like this was some picnic. Barach glared at him, but the boy was unaffected. Vox finally picked himself up out of the dirt to come join them. 

“Consider this an active game,” said Lorcasiel. “Most of you have trained here before. You know the rules. Homm, you all stay with your match, because when the sun sets, we’re out, kill or no. I want sightings called. Under no circumstances is anyone to take this beast alone. Understood?”

“Yes, Captain,” the team responded. 

“If you’ve been here before, go join Cariel at the first point. The rest of you rookies, stay. There are some additional rules you need to learn.”

Everyone left, except Barach, Ku-Vox, Mikkon, and another Terran boy named Oster. Duke remained near the rookies while Lorcas caught up to a couple other students, speaking with them individually. 

“You have a fear of flying, Vox?” asked Duke while he watched people walk into the forest. 

“No, Commander,” said the Homm. He shuffled his feet. “Maybe. I’d never flown before.”

“That would have been good to know,” said the air commander. 

“Vox used to be scared of everything,” said Oster, his lip curled back with gleeful ridicule. “He screamed every time he saw a bug.”

“That was when we were six. I’m not scared of bugs anymore,” Vox said, glaring at Oster. He turned back to Duke. “Flying wasn’t even that bad. I’m sure I’ll get use to it, if I try it a few more times. It might even be fun.”

“We’re not here to have fun,” Duke chided. He turned his back on them and walked toward Lorcasiel.

Vox exhaled slowly, his brow furrowed. “Shit. How did I screw this up already?” he mumbled to himself.

“Screw what up?” asked Mikkon.

“My chance at starting this season.” Ku-Vox rubbed the back of his head. “Duke was supposed to be on my side. Now I feel like he hates me more than the captain does.”

“Don’t think that,” said Oster, turning to look at the Homm. “I am certain the Captain still hates you more.” Vox glared at Oster again, until the captain started their way. 

Lorcas approached briskly. “Just you four rookies?”

“Yes, sir, Captain, sir,” said Mikkon. “I don’t think the others could find a Terran to fly them.”

“Neither of you carried anyone?”

Oster shook his head. Mikkon said, “I probably would have dropped them, sir.”

Lorcasiel rubbed his temple. “Noted. Since this is your first time in the forest, you’ll be our perimeter squad, staying within the eastern sector. It’s a standard practice Hunt, an easy one, but there is nothing easy or standard about this forest. The first rule is, no one ever goes anywhere alone. Ku-Vox, you’re to remain at Barach’s side every moment.”

“What? Why?” asked the Homm.

“Because, the second rule is that you never stay in this forest after dark. Before the sun sets, everyone has to be out, and that means flying straight up through the trees.”

“Don’t snakes live in the trees?” asked Mikkon while he peered up into the branches behind Lorcas.

“It’s better than what will find you when you’re in the shadows,” Lorcasiel replied.

“The zvikwambo,” Barach said, disgusted. “The rules are because of the fiend, aren’t they?”

Lorcas glared at Barach. “Some of them, yes. If you thought the last zvik was nasty, this one is a hundred times worse. Don’t try to confront it. Ever.”

“There’s really a fiend out here?” asked Ku-Vox.

“It is nocturnal. So long as no one remains in the forest after dark, it isn’t a danger. The locals all know the rules. Don’t do anything stupid,” said Lorcas. “Now, there are other wild beasts that live in this forest. You are not to kill or maim any creature that does not pose a direct, inescapable threat to you or a teammate. All Hunts are sanctioned. We do not kill for fun, understood?”

“Yes, Captain,” they replied.

“You will be operating as a standard ground squad today. Mikkon, I’m placing you as tracker.”

“Thank you, sir, I won’t let you down, Captain.” Mikkon bowed.

“Vox, you’re running as bruiser. That leaves Barach and Oster as weapons.”

Vox grinned. “Yes, sir.”

Barach scowled. “I’m not going to kill the krokuta. There’s no point assigning me as a weapon.”

“This is a practice squad. The chances of you rookies even finding your asses, let alone the krokuta, is unlikely. Now shut up and follow orders.” A whistle came from a little further inside the forest. Lorcasiel paused to listen to it. “Everyone else is ready. The Hunt begins now.”

***

Mikkon moved through the trees, his wings giving little quivers every time he heard a noise. Oster and Barach were positioned behind him, alert for danger. Vox brought up the back, poised like some great protector with his spear before him, but he was so damn happy about being there that he practically buzzed. It was like the Homm didn’t even realize how loud his energy was being.

“Can you tone it down?” Barach grumbled, looking back at him.

“I didn’t say anything,” said Vox.

“You’re projecting. Be less happy.” 

Vox’s eyebrows furrowed, highlighting the creases in his brow, but the energy around him receded. 

They walked for over an hour with no sign of the beast they were supposed to track. Shadows cast by the gnarled limbs overhead made it feel later than it actually was. Barach could see why Lorcas didn’t want anyone staying in the forest after dark, but he wasn’t looking forward to flying through the tangle of branches, especially not if he had to carry Vox. 

“Where are we even going?” Oster demanded. “I thought you were a tracker. It feels like we’re walking in circles.”

“We’re following something. Let me focus,” said Mikkon.

“Something?” Oster scoffed. “We’re supposed to follow the krokuta.”

“Well, maybe we are,” the Terran tracker replied.

“What do you mean?” asked Vox. He moved forward between Barach and Oster.

Mikkon stopped. He pointed to the south, behind them. “The krokuta entered the forest four-hundred cubits south of the stone marked path. It caught a lapon shortly after entering, and the remainder of the lapons in the area hopped northwest.” His hand tracked the movement as he talked. “The krokuta followed the lapons, though it didn’t catch another. It continued northwest, and is now somewhere over there.” He moved his hand to the direction they’d been heading, spreading his fingers out to indicate the general area before them.

“Wow, that’s awesome,” gushed Vox.

With a sneer, Oster said, “You can’t tell all that just from walking around.”

“Sure I can. It’s pretty obvious when something big moves through a forest this dense. Didn’t you notice?” Mikkon looked at Oster expectantly. 

Barach hadn’t even noticed, though his mind wasn’t completely focused on the task before them today. Still, he enjoyed seeing the flustered way Oster stammered, “I-It’s not my job to track.”

“No, it’s mine, and I could do it if you stopped interrupting me.” 

“Fine. Then do it,” Oster grumbled, and they continued on.

When Mikkon stopped again, they stood at the top of a hill surrounded in thick trees. The other side was a sheer drop off to rough rocks and more trees. Mikkon started to say, “It’s over there,” but his foot slipped on a loose rock on the edge. Barach grabbed him, because he was closest, and it was practically a reflex after all the time he’d spent playing bruiser.

“Be careful,” Barach cautioned, pulling Mikkon back. 

“Thanks,” the skinny Terran said, smiling up at him.

Barach frowned. He shoved Mikkon into Vox’s arms. “You should have grabbed him,” he said. “That’s your job.”

The Homm blinked a couple times, clearly surprised to be suddenly holding Mikkon. “Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

Almost apologetically, Mikkon said, “I probably wouldn’t have fallen. Wings, you know? It’s not a big deal.”

Vox sighed. “Nah, he’s right. I should have been paying attention. You okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” Mikkon stepped away from Vox, and gave him a brief smile.

Barach stood at the edge of the drop off, mindful of any more loose stones. He peered down in the direction Mikkon pointed before he fell. “What am I looking for?” he asked.

“There’s a cave,” said Mikkon. “The marks on the trees lead there.”

“Marks?” 

Mikkon pointed to a tree near them. There were scratch marks in the bark, four furrows, evenly spaced, like claws. Barach held his hand before the marks, fingers splayed. He tried to remember how big the krokuta’s paws were, but the marks seemed big enough.

Vox got excited. “A cave? Isn’t that where you said the krokuta would be? Let’s go!” 

“It was just a theory…” Barach muttered. Something about the claw marks seemed off. He touched the wood, trying to figure out what was bothering him about it.

“Hey, Ahnnak?” said Oster.

Barach picked off a flake of the bark. He sniffed it, but couldn’t pick up the scent of the krokuta. 

“Ahnnak, are you listening?” Oster again. Barach ignored him. There was definitely a scent lingering around the bark, something familiar, but it was faded.

“Guys, I don’t think this is the krokuta,” Barach said, turning around.

Only Oster stood before him, arms crossed and scowling. “They left.”

“They what?” He scanned the trees near them, then heard Vox’s cheerful whoop from the base of the hill. Barach ran over to the edge, where he saw Ku-Vox at the bottom, dusting himself off. He gave Mikkon a high-five. The tracker had gone down with him.

“Hurry up!” Vox shouted, grinning up at Barach. He waved, and then turned and started jogging toward the cave. Mikkon ran with him, using his wings to help him keep up. 

“Stop!” Barach called. “It isn’t the krokuta!” He knew they heard him, but they kept going. “Shit.”

“You’re a terrible bruiser,” Oster said, standing behind Barach. “They’re going to get eaten.” 

“Why didn’t you stop them?”

“Not my job,” the Terran sneered.

It wasn’t Barach’s job either, not today, but Lorcas wouldn’t see it that way if something happened to the other boys. Running off toward a cave with some unknown creature in it was a quick way to get killed. 

“Come on, we have to stop them.” Barach flew off the edge, though the trees made it difficult. One branch clipped his wing, which sent pain shooting through him, but Barach grit his teeth and kept going. When he landed at the bottom, he shook his wings out and folded them against his back. 

Oster chose to slide down the hill, backbeating his wings to slow his descent. It worked about as well as Barach expected it would, as the hill was too steep. Oster tried to compensate by jumping into the air and flying, but his momentum threw him off, and he nearly crashed into a tree at the base of the hill. 

The Terran finally landed beside Barach, breathing hard. “I hate the forest,” he said.

“Stop whining.” Barach couldn’t see where Mikkon and Vox had gone. There were too many trees in the way. He started jogging, heading in the direction he last saw them, alert for any sign of their path.

There was something eerie about the forest here. Mist settled around the roots of the trees, despite the heat of the day. Oster stumbled and fell behind Barach, and he had to go back and help the Terran off the ground.

“I hate running,” Oster complained. His knees were bleeding. He had torn his pants. 

“Flying wouldn’t be easier.” 

“I know, but I still hate it.” Oster scowled down at his knees. “Bleeding. Great. Now everything in the area can smell me.”

“Let’s find those two and get out of here before that happens.”

They continued at a slower pace, for Oster’s sake. Wouldn’t do to lose one while trying to find the other two. Barach saw a few signs of where Vox had gone. It was amazing the Homm could move so fast through the trees. Then again, it was more amazing Mikkon managed to keep up.

Barach heard voices up ahead, and he felt relieved, then immediately angry. He rushed forward, hoping to grab Vox before he went into the cave. Clear daylight shone through the trees, and Barach realized there was a clearing. He burst into the opening, and immediately stopped.

Vox and Mikkon stood side-by-side before a wide crack in the stone cliff. Neither of them looked at it. Instead, they stared up at the tree that grew before the cave.

All the bark appeared stripped from the tree, leaving it bare and white. The branches above were covered in strange yellow leaves. None of the other trees in the forest touched the limbs of the tree, leaving a nearly perfect circle of sky around it.

Vox grinned back at Barach. “You see this?”

“I don’t care. What the hell were you two doing running off?” Barach demanded as he stalked up to them.

“We found the krokuta.” Vox motioned to the cave.

“The krokuta isn’t in there.” Barach stopped beside them. The tree was perfectly smooth. Sunlight filtered through the branched in odd patterns that flickered with the quivering yellow leaves.

“It’s not?” Vox asked.

“There is no sap on the marks on the trees. They’re healed.”

Mikkon clicked his tongue. “Drat. I knew I missed something. The beast has only been missing a few days. They should have been fresh. It must have crossed paths with whatever left the marks, and I followed the wrong trail.”

Vox frowned. “It could still be here, though, right?”

“I don’t think so,” Barach said. “We should start walking back to the entrance.”

“But the Hunt-”

“Oster is hurt.”

Vox squinted at Oster as he walked up. “You are?”

“I tripped while running after your stupid ass.”

“Sorry,” said Vox. “Why didn’t you fly?”

“There are too many trees, Vox,” replied Oster. “If we could fly above the trees, it wouldn’t be a problem, but we have to stay on the ground, because we’re teamed up with a flat-backed, mud crawler.” 

Vox flinched and backed up. “Sorry.”

“Hey!” Mikkon exclaimed, stepping forward to confront Oster. “Don’t be such a jerk! You’re just jealous Vox is better than you.”

“He is not!” Oster yelled.

“Then why did Duke pick him instead of you?” 

Oster looked like he was going to punch Mikkon. The skinny Terran fearlessly stared up at Oster, though they were definitely unevenly matched. Mikkon was about to get his ass kicked. 

Barach pushed the two Terran apart. “Enough. Any issues you all have outside the game need to stay outside the game. There’s no room to argue here.”

“Fine, but this is your only warning, Mikkoniel. You cross me again, and I’m going to knock out your teeth,” Oster said, leaning menacingly around Barach.

“I’m not scared of you,” Mikkon snapped back, and Barach actually had to put his hand on the skinny Terran’s chest to keep him from lunging forward.

A high pitched trill of a whistle cut through the air in the distance. Everyone stopped and listened. It came from the southwest.

“They found the krokuta,” Mikkon observed. He stepped back, peering off in that direction.

“We were way off,” Oster said, glaring at the tracker. “Nice job.”

“Shut up, Oster,” Barach told him. “Send up our position. Let them know we’re on our way.”

They heard piercing whistles from various directions as the other teams reported in. They definitely weren’t the closest, but they weren’t the furthest away, either. 

“Are we going?” Mikkon asked.

Barach shook his head. “No. I already told the Captain I won’t be a part of killing the krokuta. We’re heading back.”

“Who put you in charge?” Oster demanded, crossing his arms. “You send up the signal. You’re a weapon, too.”

“Just do it,” Barach told him. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

While he walked away to send up the signal, the Terran grumbled, “Captain’s pet.” Oster breathed in deep, put two fingers in his mouth, then whistled. The sound was high pitched and loud. It made Barach’s head hurt. Oster did two long and two short trills. It was their current location, and that they wouldn’t be joining the battle.

“Alright, let’s go,” Barach said when Oster was done. “We’re finished today.”

“Can we fly out?” asked Mikkon, pointing up to the clear ring of sky above them.

They were pretty far from the entrance. It would be easier to fly over the treetops, though Barach really didn’t want to have to carry Vox any more than he had to. Still, it made more sense than walking the whole way back.

“Yes, that’s fine. Vox, are-” Barach stopped. He looked around the tree. “Where’s Vox?”

Oster walked back over. “Did he run off to cry somewhere?”

Mikkon frowned and pointed at boot prints in the soft earth. “He, uh… He went in the cave.” 

“He _what_!?”

***

The cave was dark and cold. It smelled like decay. Barach led the way, stepping carefully over dozens of tiny bones. The cave was too narrow, so he’d left his spear outside the entrance. Mikkon was at his back, holding on to the hem of his shirt. Oster brought up the rear, sword drawn. Barach was more worried about Oster accidentally stabbing them in the dark than running into whatever was in the cave. 

However, there was something about the cave made Barach’s hair stand on end. He wanted to grab Vox and get out as quickly as possible. When they were in the light of day, he’d beat the Homm senseless, then carry his body back to the academy. That was the plan, and it was a very good plan, as far as he was concerned.

“The path splits,” Mikkon whispered over Barach’s shoulder. Barach startled by the sudden closeness, and his wing knocked the Terran back. 

“Watch it Mikkoniel!” Oster exclaimed. “I nearly stabbed you!”

“Put the sword away,” Barach hissed. “No one can see anything.”

“I can,” said Mikkon. “Do you want me to lead?”

“No, just don’t whisper in my ear like that.” Barach shrugged, settling his wings against his back again. He stepped forward, then paused. “Which way?”

Mikkon tapped his right shoulder. “That way.”

They progressed slowly through the cave. Barely above a whisper, Barach called, “Vox? Vox, where are you?” He projected his voice on a low frequency through the tunnels, hoping he wouldn’t summon something unpleasant. 

There was a sound up ahead, then a glint of light. Mikkon squeaked and grabbed Barach’s arm. “V-Vox?” he whispered.

Barach hesitated, and then suddenly, Vox popped up before them, face illuminated by a purple phosphor stick. Barach recoiled, nearly blinded. His wing smacked Mikkon again. 

“Damn it Vox! Don’t do that!” Barach blinked, trying to clear his vision.

“Oh, hey guys,” the Homm said cheerily. “Look what I found.” 

“Whoa, what is that?” asked Mikkon. Vox walked him over to an enormous skull on the ground. It was nearly as big as the both of them together. The purple light illuminated the bone, casting eerie shadows on the cave wall.

“It’s an ursal skull,” Barach answered. He rubbed his eyes to make the phosphor spots go away. He blinked again, and could finally see clearly.

“You think this is what could have made the marks on the trees?” asked Vox.

“Maybe. It looks like its been dead for years.” Mikkon placed his hand against one of the broken fangs. “Wow, these teeth are huge.” 

“Isn’t it awesome?” Vox grinned.

“This is why you came in here?” Oster demanded. “To look at bones?”

“Well, I thought I saw the krokuta,” explained the Homm.

“So you entered the cave alone?!” Oster stomped over like he was going to stab Vox with his sword. 

Barach grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Save it. We’re leaving.” He shoved the Terran back the way they’d come. “Lead the way.”

Oster glared at him, but started walking back toward the entrance. 

Vox pouted. “But the krokuta-”

“It’s already been found,” Barach said. “They sent up the signal.”

“Oh,” Vox sighed gloomily. He closed his hand around the purple light, muting it. His fingers glowed red. “Are we going to go join them?”

“No, we-”

A scream split the air, then abrupt cut off. It had been Oster. Vox startled, dropping the phosphor stick. It burst into a quick flash of flame before going out completely. Something skittered into a crevice in the wall over Vox’s head. Plunged into darkness, Barach could only stare, hoping he was just imagining the two milky orbs staring back at him, like lingering burns on his retina.

“We have to go,” Barach said. He reached out blindly, grabbing whoever he could. His fingers closed around Mikkon’s skinny arm, and he started pulling him with him. “Come on, Vox.”

“Why did Oster scream?” Mikkon asked, his voice high. He was trembling.

“He’s fine,” Barach lied. “Probably tripped again. Vox?”

“I’m here,” the Homm said, close behind Mikkon. 

“I’ve got his hand,” whispered Mikkon. “Go left.”

Barach turned, dragging them as fast as he could move through the dark cave. His mind was playing tricks on him in the darkness. He knew he couldn’t have seen what he thought he’d seen. He held out his hand, following the wall with his fingertips.

Something wrapped around Barach’s wrist with crushing strength and jerked him forward. With Mikkon so close to his back, he couldn’t use his wings to slow his fall. Barach crashed to the stone, hitting his chin against a rock. Mikkon fell on his back with a shriek. Vox fell on top of Mikkon.

A light flared above them, and the three boys looked up from their pile to find Lorcasiel standing over them. Lorcas’s grey eyes reflected his conjured firelight at his fingertips, making his eyes blaze with anger. The captain of the Hunt was furious. “What part of ‘Stay in the eastern sector didn’t you understand?” 

Lorcasiel picked up Vox and threw him over his shoulder, then grabbed Mikkon by the back of his neck and forced the skinny Terran to scramble after him. “Move your ass, rookie!” the Captain commanded.

Barach pushed himself to his feet, resisting the urge to look back on the creeping sensation closing in behind him. He could practically feel little claws reaching for his feathers as he ran after Lorcasiel into the sunlight.

Out in the clearing, in a patch of late afternoon sun, the captain threw Vox down next to Oster. The Terran boy had his shirt off and pressed to his nose. It was soaked in blood. Barach wasn’t fond of Oster, but he was relieved to see him not dead. 

Vox started to sit up, when Lorcas threw Mikkon into his lap, knocking him back down. Barach walked up beside Lorcas, and as soon as he opened his mouth to explain what had happened, Lorcas smacked the back of his head.

“Go sit with your squad, rookie.”

Barach glared at him, brow furrowed. He walked over to stand beside Vox and Mikkon as they disentangled themselves from one another. 

“All you had to do was stay near the entrance. That was it,” Lorcasiel said sternly. “Instead, I find the four of you over a league away from your sector, in the most dangerous part of the forest. When your signal went up, I thought, ‘No, it can’t possibly be those assholes,’ but here you are.”

“Oster was attacked,” said Barach. “In the cave, I saw-”

“I attacked Oster,” snapped Lorcasiel. “Dumb shit pulled a sword on me.”

“He broke my nose,” said Oster, his voice thick with blood.

“Wait, you broke his nose?” Barach asked.

“He tried to stab me,” Lorcas sneered. “None of you are going to look much better when I’m done with you. How stupid can you be? There are at least a dozen ursals in this section of the forest. During breeding season, they’re extremely aggressive. Everyone with an ounce of common sense knows to stay away from ursal markings.”

“That’s my fault,” said Mikkon. “Sorry, Captain, sir. I thought I was following the krokuta…”

“That beast is cornered.” Lorcas motioned to the southwest. “I need to be there to confirm the kill, but I had to leave to come save your pathetic asses.”

“It’s not dead?” asked Vox, perking up. “We could still help fight it?”

“Well, I certainly can’t leave you idiots alone again. Get your asses up and let’s go.”

Vox grinned and jumped up. He helped Mikkon stand, and offered his hand to Oster, but the Terran swatted it away and got up on his own. 

“Carry him, Barach,” commanded Lorcasiel. “We’re flying.” The captain’s wings spread. 

“No.” The word was out of Barach’s mouth before he realized he’d said it. 

The captain froze, his grey eyes focused on Barach. “What did you say?”

Barach swallowed hard. “No. I-I can’t.” 

“Can’t?” Lorcas stalked up and grabbed the front of Barach’s shirt, jerking him close. 

The scratched across Barach’s chest stung with Lorcas’ rough movements. Barach flinched. He was having trouble looking Lorcas in the eye. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“Are you disobeying me, Barach?” 

“I can’t be there,” Barach whispered. He glanced up to meet the captain’s intense gaze. 

Lorcasiel’s brow furrowed as his grey eyes searched Barach’s face. “Why?”

“I know this beast. I can’t watch him be killed.” Barach throat felt tight. Was it the fading adrenaline from the cave? How could he be getting so emotional over a beast? “It wasn’t his fault. He’ll fight because he’s alone and scared, but he’s not bad. It’s not fair.”

Lorcasiel’s eyes softened a little. “Life is seldom fair.” He released Barach’s shirt and patted his chest. “You’re lucky you’re a bruiser, not a weapon, or I would kick you from my squad right now.” 

“Yes, Captain.” Barach lowered his eyes.

The captain stepped back, shaking his head. “Sometimes I forget how young you still are.” He addressed the whole squad. “You’re going to return to Archridge immediately.”

“What!?” Vox exclaimed.

“Go to the enclave and start running laps until I return. Understood?”

“Can’t I come with you?” Vox pleaded.

“I only have room for one disobedient bruiser on my team, Ku-Vox. Do as you’re told.” 

“Yes, sir,” the Homm mumbled sadly. 

“Get out of here, rookies. I’ve wasted enough time with you.” Lorcas stayed on the ground until Mikkon and Oster flew up between the trees. He flew after them, leaving Barach to pick up Vox. The Homm wouldn’t look at him, but he wrapped his arms around Barach’s neck, and when Barach started to fly, his legs cinched tight around Barach’s waist.

They joined the others over the trees. Lorcas pointed in the direction of the academy and said, “Go,” then he turned and flew southwest to the krokuta. 

Mikkon led the way back, and Barach and Oster stayed in formation at his sides. They hadn’t even reached the edge of the forest before they heard a pained yelp from the krokuta.

“It’s done,” Oster said. He dabbed his face with his shirt again, but the blood had stopped. His nose remained crooked, though. 

Barach rubbed his eyes, trying to prevent his vision from going blurry. He was glad Vox couldn’t see him, since the Homm’s forehead was pressed against Barach’s neck. He didn’t know why the death of the krokuta was hitting him so hard. He knew what happened to beasts that bit people. It was just the way things were.

No one cared that the krokuta used to whimper before the rain, because the change in air pressure made his old injuries ache. It didn’t matter that Barach used to scratch behind his ears and rub his belly to calm him down. 

Sure, the beast was temperamental. He snapped when he was angry or scared. He ran off on his own, no thought to what he was leaving behind, or how it would affect everyone else. He just disappeared, because he was too stubborn to say sorry-

 _Oh_. 

Shit. 

This wasn’t about the beast at all. 

It was about _Gabriel_. 

Barach pressed against his temples, trying to clear his head. That was why he was getting so worked up about the krokuta. He’d attached his feelings about his stupid friend on the stupid beast. 

They flew on, passing the edge of the forest. Vox raised his head and looked at Barach. “Why did you refuse?” he asked. He yelled to be heard over the wind. 

Oster looked over at them. “The real question is, why did the captain listen?” At least Oster could project his voice properly, though his addition to the conversation was unwelcome. 

“They didn’t need us,” Barach said.

“The captain is playing favorites again,” said Oster. “You shouldn’t even be on the team, Ahnnak. I heard you’re only fifteen. What’d you do to get him to add you? Suck his dick?”

Barach snorted. “Why? Are you thinking your chances of playing would be better if you could earn your spot on your knees, rather than in the sparring pit?”

Oster’s skin flushed. “I would never! In a fair fight, I would kick your ass.”

“Is that a challenge?” Barach asked, glaring at the Terran. 

“N-Not a challenge,” Oster said quickly. “I’m just saying, it’s not fair. I’m going ahead.” He shot past Mikkon, flying as quickly as possible back to the academy. 

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to participate today,” Barach told Vox.

The Homm sighed, tightening his grip around Barach’s neck. “I probably would have screwed it up anyway.” He pressed his face against him again. “Tell me when we get there.”

“Sure, Vox,” Barach said. He wrapped an arm around the Homm’s flat back, making him feel a little more secure during the remainder of the flight.


	83. Gabriel: 21st Degree of Sun and Moon, 595 DE

After his breakup with Ori and his fight with Sera, Gabriel wasn’t exactly welcome in the library study group anymore. The classes this year were harder. Every instructor loaded hours of tedious reading, essays, and assignments on the students each night, and though Gabriel found he was capable of keeping up by himself, it started to wear him out. He had to find new people to study with, or he was going to go insane. 

Within weeks, he discovered that finding new people wouldn’t really be a problem. There were a lot more girls in the advanced classes than just those in the study group. Quite a few of them gazed after Gabriel with the same infatuation Ori once displayed. He wasn’t about to tie himself down to a single girl again, but he didn’t need to. With a lingering touch and a charming smile, Gabriel found that he could convince most of them to do just about anything for him. 

History was the one class he was having trouble finding someone to work with. The girls were adequate, eagerly agreeing to take notes for him, but there was something lacking. He ended up correcting more of their mistakes than he would have if he’d just completed the work himself. He bounced between a few of them, but it wasn’t working out. 

Then yesterday, Gabriel walked into class while the instructor praised a Terran boy for his recent essay. The boy stood there, taking the praise with a shy smile. When he glanced to the side and saw Gabriel staring at him, he immediately startled and clutched his essay to his chest, wrinkling the parchment. The Terran boy ducked his head in a quick bow to the instructor, then hurried to his desk. His face was flushed all the way to the tips of his ears.

It was then that Gabriel realized he had been overlooking an important aspect of the classes.

_Boys._

Girls were easy. Frivolous compliments and soft touches were enough. Some were simply eager for a chance to share a bed with an Ahnnak, especially an heir like him. But a boy…

The challenge of seducing a boy as he’d done a dozen girls before strangely appealed to Gabriel. He wondered if it would be difficult, considering the boy already showed some interest in him.

For the rest of the class, Gabriel watched the Terran boy. He saw the diligent way he took notes and the attentive way he listened to the instructor. He would be perfect. Gabriel felt foolish for not noticing him before.

The following day, Gabriel walked up to the Terran before class started. “Can I sit here?” he asked, motioning to the bench beside him.

The boy turned and looked up at Gabriel, brown eyes going wide. “S-Sure,” he stammered, then looked back down at his book.

Gabriel smiled a bit as he sat. The Terran boy was shy. He had shaggy, dark brown hair at that awkward length between being short and being long enough to style. He’d probably only been growing it out for the past year. His skin was light, the color of dry sand, and showed the freckles across his cheeks. 

“I don’t think we’ve ever met. My name is Gabriel. What’s your name?”

“Vi-Vidiel,” he said, stuttering over his own name.

“Vivi? That’s adorable.” Gabriel smiled as a hot blush spread over the boy’s cheeks. “Do you mind if I call you Vivi?”

The boy shook his head. “It’s fine,” he squeaked. 

“I’ve been watching you. You’re pretty good at history, aren’t you, Vivi?” said Gabriel.

“M-My dad is an archivist at the colonist reserve,” said Vivi. “I’ve been reading tomes there for as long as I can remember.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. I’ve always wanted to visit the colonist reserve. Maybe when I go, you can show me around.” 

“Okay,” Vivi whispered. 

Tilting his head, Gabriel looked at the shy boy. “How have I never noticed you before?”

“We had three classes together last year,” said Vivi. The boy looked away nervously, almost like he thought he was being set up for a prank. 

Gabriel touched a lock of Vivi’s hair, letting his fingers brush the boy’s ear lightly, pretending the contact was accidental. “Maybe I don’t recognize you because your hair is so much longer. Are you growing it out?”

Vivi pulled away from him, placing his hand over his ear. Gabriel could see the boy’s pulse flickering against his throat. “I was trying,” he said. “I know it looks dumb.”

“I think you look cute,” Gabriel said, and looked away, allowing the boy a moment to absorb the statement. Vivi gaped at him, too stunned to respond.

Casually, Gabriel looped some of his silver hair around his finger and pulled it out straight so he could easily see it. “If anyone had dumb hair, it’s me. You know I hate it? I’ve been growing it out my entire life, and it barely passes my shoulders. I would cut it all off if I could.”

“What? Why!” Vivi exclaimed, leaning closer to Gabriel. “Your hair is so beaut- nice. It’s nice. The color is so… and the length… It’s p-perfect. Don’t cut it.”

“I won’t,” said Gabriel, giving him a soft smile. “Actually, I’m not allowed to.” He huffed a short laugh. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about things like this with anyone. There’s just something about you… I feel like I can trust you, Vivi.” 

The instructor stepped up to the podium, ready to begin the lesson for the day, giving the stunned boy beside Gabriel a reprieve. They both focused on the lesson and followed along with the instructor. 

When dismissed, Gabriel stood, collecting his books in his arms. He smiled down at Vivi. “Hey, I know this is kind of sudden, but would you want to come to my room tonight? Help me study?”

Vivi gulped, staring up at him with wide brown eyes. “S-Sure, Gabriel. I can do that.”

“Great,” he said, winking at the Terran boy. “See you tonight.” Gabriel turned and walked off, heading to his next class. It was only when he left the room that he let his smile drop. 

***

Statistics wasn’t as much of an issue as Gabriel thought it would be. He still hated it, but he never had to worry about his grades, no matter what level of work he turned in.

Tassin was a creep. He hated Gabriel because he was Ahnnak, but he lusted after him because he was young. The man was disgusting, however, Gabriel knew he could use him to his advantage. As long as Gabriel looked miserable, Tassin was happy, and it was very easy to look miserable around the Homm. 

Though Gabriel played the man’s game - acting submissive, exposing himself, and performing for Tassin’s perverse pleasure - Gabriel had discovered who really held the power. 

Biting his lip and innocently tugging his shirt down to expose his collarbone during class could make Tassin stumble in the middle of a sentence, completely forgetting what he was talking about. Gabriel always played innocent when the Homm scolded him after class for being distracting, but everything Gabriel did was calculated.

Their private monthly meetings often ended with Tassin kneeling before Gabriel, though Gabriel had yet to allow the man to touch him. He understood why Tassin wouldn’t do it without permission, and it had nothing to do with the Homm’s honor. Aggressively grabbing Gabriel could produce bruises, which could be used as evidence of assault. Everything else was just Tassin’s word against Gabriel’s. The Homm could outright deny anything was happening and accuse Gabriel of being another disgruntled student, and the academy would probably believe him. 

Either way, Gabriel hated to think what Jequn would do if he found out. Gabriel doubted his father would be very sympathetic. He’d probably be angry that Gabriel was cheating on their deal, and take it out on Alex. Gabriel couldn’t let that happen.

Still, Gabriel knew Tassin was more scared of being caught as he was. The Homm knew what he was doing was wrong, but he was a sick and broken man, and he wasn’t going to stop. 

Gradually, Gabriel began shifting their conversations. He stopped asking permission. No more, “Sir, may I come?” He moved to, “Sir, do you want to taste me?” and then “Tell me you want me, sir. On your knees. _Beg_.” 

Tassin did. By the time Gabriel stood was ready to come, Tassin would have done anything to taste him. He was a weak and pathetic man, and Gabriel had a hard time believing he had ever been intimidated by anything as pitiful as that Homm.

***

The only class Gabriel wasn’t able to talk or charm his way through was Elemental Physics with the Isten Elohim. The Isten had stuck to his word, pairing Gabriel and Lorcasiel up, even making them share a desk at the front of the room. Lorcas had been just as unhappy about the situation as Gabriel, but Gabriel would be damned if he let the Huntsman ruin his perfect grades. 

At first, Lorcas had been all smug and haughty, his presence at Gabriel’s side intimidating. For days, Gabriel had barely been able to look at his tormentor. However, constant fear could not be maintained indefinitely. As soon as they needed to work together, Gabriel snapped, unable to hold back. 

“You’re doing it wrong,” he declared.

“I am not doing it wrong,” said Lorcas, irritated, still sustaining the glow of energy around his fingertips. 

“You’re doing it wrong,” Gabriel repeated, his annoyance overriding any of his previous fear. “Did you even read the book?” 

The energy snapped off, creating a layer of dust on the table from the beginnings of the crystallization process. Lorcas glared at Gabriel. “Of course I read the damned book.”

“Then act like it and do what it said,” replied Gabriel, glaring back at him with ice-blue eyes. “I refuse to get a bad grade in this class just because you’re inept.”

“Inept!? You little sh-”

The Isten Elohim tapped the desk before them, cutting the argument off. “You’re both being too loud,” he said.

The boys looked down. “Sorry, Lord Isten,” said Lorcas.

“Sorry,” Gabriel echoed.

That hadn’t been the end of it. Gabriel and Lorcas argued nearly every day, but it was always about the class. In that room, Gabriel had no trouble asserting himself before the Huntsman, demanding Lorcas redo his work until it was done correctly. Sometimes, Lorcas looked like he wanted to hit Gabriel, but he never did. Lorcas never touched him, and even outside of class, Gabriel gradually lost the fear he’d had of the older boy.

Up until now, Gabriel had managed to get Lorcas to meet Elohim’s standards, keeping both their grades perfect. However, the final step of the energy casing project was coming due, and Lorcasiel still couldn’t get it right.

It was frustrating because the Huntsman knew the course book. Gabriel never saw Lorcas read it or carry it with him, but the Terran could pull information and page numbers from the book as if it were directly before him. Lorcasiel had an eidetic memory. That was the only reason he was able to keep up in all his classes while wasting so much time practicing with the Hunt, especially with the summer games approaching.

However, the energy Lorcas summoned was rough and raw, like he’d been taught how to use energy purely for destruction. Creating the energy casing was a delicate task, which Gabriel tried to guide Lorcas on, but the Huntsman kept creating uneven shells with rough edges and ugly little nodules all over the surface. Today wasn’t any different.

“Wrong,” said Gabriel, getting angry. “Fiends, aren’t you ashamed to even think of turning that in?” The Isten Elohim had stepped out of the room to consult with another instructor a few classes down, so Gabriel wasn’t worried about keeping his voice low.

Lorcas glared at him, then crushed the casing between his hands, reabsorbing the power. “You think you can do better, baby?”

Gabriel sneered at him. “Of course I can.”

“Prove it.” Lorcas puffed out his wings and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. 

Holding his hands up, Gabriel focused, spinning his energy into a blue shell casing. It crystallized quickly, and though it was a little lopsided, it was years better than anything produced by anyone else in the class. He held it out before the Huntsman.

Lorcas scowled. “That’s not any better than mine.”

“Of course it’s better,” said Gabriel, annoyed that Lorcas was being so stubborn about the matter. “Just do it right, Lorcasiel. Don’t be so sloppy.”

“Sloppy?!”

Scornfully, Gabriel said, “You conjure energy like you were taught by a Homm who demonstrated by shitting in his hand and flinging it at a wall.” 

A dark look passed over Lorcas’ face. He retorted, “Go to hell. What would a spoiled rotten fiend like you know of shit? I bet you still have servants who wipe your ass. Can’t get your perfect little hands dirty, can you?”

“Are you trying to make fun of me for being clean?” Gabriel asked with mock incredulity. 

“I’m not making fun of you at all,” said Lorcas. “I’m just pointing out what a puffed-up, selfish, entitled little prick you are. Everyone knows the only reason you’re in this class is because your daddy bought your way in, just like he buys your grades.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Gabriel hissed. The energy capsule in his hand started vibrating. 

“Aww, did I hurt your widdle Ahnnak feelings?” Lorcas asked in a condescending tone. “You’re a pathetic crybaby. You think the rules don’t apply to you because you were born lucky. Well, _fuck you_ Ahnnak. You’re not special. You’re an immature, weak brat, and I bet your baby brother kisses better than you.” 

Low and furious, Gabriel said, “Don’t you dare talk about my brother.”

Lorcas leaned in closer and maliciously whispered, “Maybe I’ll take his first kiss, too.”

Gabriel’s snapped. Rage flared through him like fire. Except, it didn’t fill him alone. It sank into the crystal casing in his hand, suffusing the fragile pod with violent energy. 

With an unexpected bang, shards of crystallized blue energy exploded outward with enough power to knock both Lorcasiel and Gabriel off the bench. Gabriel hit the floor, his ears ringing. Someone screamed. The other students scattered, startled by the explosion. One boy ran from the room. 

Gabriel blinked rapidly. He pulled himself to his feet, but when he grabbed the desk with the hand that had been holding the crystal, searing pain shot through him. He discovered his palm had deeply embedded blue shards dotting his skin. 

Lorcas stood across from Gabriel, breathing heavy, with his teeth bared. His spread wings jerked and twitched with anger. Dozens of large crystal shards jutted from his cheek and temple amid a blast pattern of blue dust that covered half his face. There was murder in his grey eyes. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” snarled the Huntsman.

The sudden release of energy had taken all Gabriel’s anger with it. The only thing he felt as Lorcasiel lunged at him was fear, and a certainty that the Huntsman was serious this time. 

Gabriel ran, flipping a table at Lorcas before jumping into the air. The Huntsman knocked the table aside and sprang after him. 

Desperate to escape, Gabriel landed on the wall and kicked off. He launched over Lorcasiel’s head, aiming for the door. He dropped and skittered across the stone floor in the hallway, then started flying, pushing himself faster.

It wasn’t enough. Lorcas stayed right behind him in a flurry of beating wings. Gabriel didn’t even make it to the walkway around the gap before Lorcas caught him. 

Gabriel was thrown face first against a stone wall. The Huntsman’s hand tangled in his hair and held him there as he leaned in and said, “You’re dead, baby. Any last words?”

“Fuck you, Lorcas,” Gabriel said. He winced as the grip tightened. Lorcas’ other hand pressed against the bare skin on Gabriel’s back, just below his wings. The Huntsman’s fingers wrapping around the base of one wing as the silver-haired boy started to panic. 

“ENOUGH,” came the booming command of the Isten Elohim. 

Immediately, Lorcas released Gabriel and stepped back. “Isten Elohim! This isn’t-”

“Terran Lorcasiel, there will be silence,” said Elohim. Lowering his head, Lorcas remained quiet.

Gabriel’s relief at being rescued was short lived as he looked at the Isten. Elohim was definitely not happy. His double pupils were focused to pinpricks in both eyes as he glared between the two boys. The six wings remained folded against Elohim’s back, but Gabriel suspected that had more to do with the confining nature of the stone halls than the instructor’s mood.

Elohim glowered at them both. “This behavior is completely unacceptable. Return to the classroom.” When neither of them moved, he yelled, “Now!”

Gabriel flinched, his wings tightening against his back. Lorcasiel bowed, and then they both went back to the classroom, Elohim marching right behind them.

“Sit,” the Isten commanded when they entered. “Students, the rest of you are dismissed for the day.” 

Humiliatingly, Gabriel and Lorcas had to sit at the table together while everyone else gathered their belongings and filtered out of the room. The boys kept their heads lowered, but they could feel the curious stares of the students leaving. Stories and rumors of what happened would be all over the school by the end of the day. It was embarrassing, but for now, Gabriel’s main concern lay with the Isten.

When only the three of them remained, Elohim started pacing the front of the room. He watched them with a disappointed scowl. “I expected better from you both,” he said. The feathers of his wings shivered with an unsettling rustle. “I don’t care why you two feel the need to fight. I don’t even care if you end up killing each other. You are both representatives of something greater than yourselves, and in the presence of other students, I expect you to behave with dignity and honor. Terran Lorcasiel?”

“Yes, Lord Isten?” Lorcas looked up, meeting the disapproving gaze of the Isten.

“As the captain of the Hunt, your actions are a direct reflection upon the academy. I know the patron supporting your education and skills will not be pleased if he finds you are using your time and resources to harass an Ahnnak.”

Lorcas looked back down. “Yes, Lord Isten. Forgive me.”

“Forgiveness is earned, Lorcasiel. And Gabriel?”

“Yes, Isten?” Gabriel raised his ice-blue eyes to face Elohim.

“What would your father say if he found you acting like this?”

Gabriel swallowed hard. “He wouldn’t say anything, sir.”

“No?”

“He would just beat me.”

Elohim silently regarded him, lips pressed together. Coldly, he said, “You are probably right. Still, in this situation, due to the severity of your actions, it is likely a fitting response. You are his heir. Everything you do is done in the name of the Isten Jequn. Your behavior in class may have been excusable when you were a child, but you are now old enough to know better.” 

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, Isten,” said Gabriel contritely. 

Elohim approached the table where the two boys sat. “Terran Lorcasiel, let me see your face.”

Lorcas lifted his head to face the Isten, but he kept his eyes averted. Elohim grabbed his chin and tilted he head, looking at the damage with disapproval. “Ahnnak Gabriel, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“It was an accident, sir,” Gabriel said. The words felt like a lie even as he said them.

“You blew up a bomb in your classmate’s face on accident?”

Gabriel wings gave a nervous flutter against his back. _A bomb._ He had created a bomb. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Elohim released Lorcas. “Leaving class without permission and fighting in the hall is enough reason for me to send you both to the office for discipline. A bomb, Gabriel, is enough to get you expelled.”

Panicked, Gabriel said, “Please, sir, I didn’t-”

“Silence, Ahnnak Gabriel.” When Gabriel obeyed, Elohim continued. “I should report you, but I won’t. The petty squabbles of children do not concern me, and I feel the administration tends to overreact in situations like this.” 

“Petty?!” Gabriel fumed at the implication, though he supposed he should be grateful the Isten wasn’t reporting him.

Elohim ignored Gabriel’s outburst. He plucked one of the blue shards from Lorcas’ cheek. The Terran boy winced, but didn’t make a sound. “I don’t expect you two to be friends,” said the Isten, “but I do expect behavior fitting young men of your stations. If I ever see another display like this, I will contact both of your Isten and have them make the trip to the academy to deal with you personally. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Lord Isten,” said Lorcasiel.

“Yes, sir,” said Gabriel. 

“Good. Now head down to the medic. I have another class starting soon, and I think it would be best if no one else sees the state you two are in.” Dismissed, Lorcasiel and Gabriel stood and bowed to the Isten, then walked from the room together. 

Getting scolded by an Isten was always distressing. Lorcas didn’t appear to be in the mood to fight anymore, and honestly, neither was Gabriel. He knew they’d gotten off easy this time. He wasn’t about to show resistance to Elohim’s command by starting an argument. The last thing he needed was for Jequn to show up at the academy in response to a report from another Isten.

As awkward as it was, Gabriel remained by Lorcas’ side as they walked down the hall. When they were far enough away from the class to not be heard, he asked, “What did he mean, ‘both of your Isten’?”

With a resigned sigh, Lorcasiel said, “He’s referring to my patron, the Isten Damabiath. He’s a fan of the Hunt. He owns me.” 

“Owns you?” The casual way Lorcas said the words caught Gabriel off guard. 

“I’m a slave, Gabriel,” replied Lorcas, glancing over as if he pitied how ignorant Gabriel was. The look made Gabriel’s wings bristle. “Damabiath supports my participation in the Hunt and at the academy, but in return, I must serve him after I graduate. The arrangement was for two-hundred years. Every championship I win takes a decade off that, but that still leaves me with over a century bound as his vassal. A century in which, at best, I will be nothing more than Wild Hunt memorabilia to be paraded out at parties.”

“If you hate it so much, why did you agree to it?” asked Gabriel. “How could your parents allow it?”

“My parents have been dead a long time. I don’t even remember their names.”

Gabriel looked away from him. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” 

The boys walked in silence for a moment. Gabriel didn’t like seeing this side of Lorcas. It was confusing. It was easier to hate him than feel any kind of sympathy for him. 

Before they reached the gap, Lorcas said, “I still despise everything about you, baby boy, but… does your father really beat you?” 

Gabriel’s wings stiffened. For some reason, he answered honestly. “Nearly every time I see him.”

“And your baby brother?”

Gabriel didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. The conversation dropped. 

They reached the arch to the gap and flew down to the medic’s office. Medic Haniel spent the rest of the afternoon extracting crystals and fussing with their wounds, but they both accepted her ministrations quietly. When she was done, they left the office together. 

Before Lorcas flew off to join the other Huntsmen in practice, he turned to Gabriel and smirked. “I’m not going to forgive you for blowing a bomb up in my face, baby. One day, I’ll get even.”

Gabriel scoffed. “Try me, Lorcas. I’ll do it again.” 

The Huntsman winked at him and took off, flying up to the enclave of the Hunt.

***

Gabriel had a lot on his mind at dinner, mostly how he was going to deal with Lorcas now that the Isten Elohim would be watching them so close. He’d have to keep his temper in check around the infuriating older boy. That task was probably going to be harder than getting Lorcas to do the work properly. 

Being so wrapped up in thoughts of Lorcas, Gabriel was completely surprised when he walked back to his room after dinner to find a shy boy standing outside his door. Gabriel had completely forgotten about him. 

“Vivi. You’re here.”

“I-I wasn’t sure what time you wanted me to come over… Or if you really wanted me to come over at all. I can go, if you’re busy.” The brown-haired Terran boy started to walk away. 

Gabriel cut him off before he could get too far. “No! It’s okay. I’m sorry. I just got distracted this afternoon.” He held up his bandaged hand. 

“Oh! What happened?” Vivi’s eyes widen with concern.

“An accident with some crystal. It’s fine. Medic Haniel took care of it.” Gabriel guided him toward his door. He needed Vivi. He couldn’t let him escape. Gabriel pushed all thoughts of Lorcas from his mind and focused on the boy in front of him. He smiled charmingly and let his fingers brush against the bare skin on Vivi’s arm. “Please, come in.”

“Okay,” Vivi whispered, willingly stepping into Gabriel’s room. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” said Gabriel. He closed the door behind him and ensured the latch locked in place. “Give me a moment to get cleaned up.” He walked into his private bathing room, leaving Vivi alone by his bed. 

Gabriel unwrapped the bandage from hand. The spots were still red, but mostly healed. He washed his face, then ran his fingers through his silver hair. He stared at his callous reflection in the mirror. 

_Smile_ , he told himself, forcing the expression onto his lips. _You need this boy_. 

Gabriel reemerged from the bathroom, a soft smile on his face, his blue eyes cheerful. Vivi sat nervously on the edge of Gabriel’s bed, holding his books in his lap. 

When Vivi looked up, his wings gave a little flutter. “D-Do you want to go over today’s notes or work on the assignment?” he asked.

“Notes, if you don’t mind. I want to make sure I didn’t miss anything.” Gabriel picked up the notes he’d taken, then sat next to Vivi on the bed so he could compare. He sat close enough so that when the bed sank beneath his weight, Vivi’s shoulder bumped against his.

The Terran boy was obviously nervous about being there, and his fingers trembled as he pointed out different topics on the notes. Gabriel watched his every move, from the way his long fingers traced over the parchment, to how his soft lips formed the words as he spoke. Admittedly, Gabriel wasn’t listening to much the other boy had to say. 

Eventually, having Gabriel’s sharp eyes so focused on him made Vivi self-conscious. “What is it? Is there something on my face?”

“No, sorry,” Gabriel turned away, feigning embarrassment. “You’re just so cute. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t mean to stare.”

“C-Cute? Do you really think I’m cute?” the shy boy asked. 

“Yes, I do.” Gabriel looked back at him. He reached up, cupping the Terran’s cheek against his palm. “I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to kiss you.”

“K-Kiss?” 

“May I, Vivi? Will you let me kiss you?”

The Terran boy gulped, and then he nodded. “Yes.”

Gabriel leaned in, pressing his lips lightly against the other boy’s mouth. He took his time, slowly coaxing the kiss deeper. He’d found that girls often responded better when he didn’t give them a reason to think he was just trying to rush into more. 

Except for Vivi’s uncertainty, kissing him wasn’t much different than kissing a girl. His lips were soft, his skin smooth. He tasted like he’d been chewing mint before coming there. 

Gabriel didn’t know why he’d been expecting anything different. Then, suddenly, the memory of the stolen kiss with Lorcas passed through his mind, and Gabriel had to stop and pull back. 

The silver-haired boy stood, stepping away from Vivi and turning his back to the bed. His wings were tense, and he scowled, angry about that stolen kiss, even now. Gabriel didn’t want Vivi to see him like that, with his emotions so exposed. He fought to get his face under control, even as he heard Vivi stand and approach. 

“Is everything okay?” Vivi asked. He reached his hand out and touched Gabriel’s forearm. His fingers lay lightly against his skin.

Without thinking, Gabriel turned and grabbed Vivi’s wrist. He pulled the Terran boy off balance and flung him back against the wall. Before Vivi could react, Gabriel pressed their bodies together and pinned Vivi to the stone. He kissed him again, but it was hard and aggressive.

Vivi didn’t fight him. The Terran brought his hands up into Gabriel’s silver hair and moaned against his mouth. Their bodies rubbed together as Vivi squirmed against the stone. 

_Gentle, be gentle!_ Gabriel repeatedly scolded himself, but his body wouldn’t listen. This was not the way to convince a girl to help him in class. 

Except, Vivi wasn’t a girl. The hard length pressed against Gabriel’s thigh made that very clear. He spread the Terran’s thighs more, pressing his knee between his legs. Vivi rubbed against him, moaning, sounding so lewd, so different from the shy little Terran who stammered over half his words.

Gabriel wanted to hear more. He broke the kiss and pressed his hand against Vivi’s chest, holding him there. He smirked at him, revealing the mischievous glint in his ice-blue eyes, then dropped to his knees before him.

Vivi stammered, “W-Wait, wait, wait-” 

Listening to anyone didn’t seem to be Gabriel’s strong suit today. If he hesitated, he knew was going to second guess himself, and he didn’t want to do that. He yanked down Vivi’s pants and the boy’s slim erection popped out. Gabriel wrapped a hand around the base, then brought his mouth to the warm flesh. He took a tentative lick of the tip, tasting the other boy’s skin, then decided he had to just go for it. 

Diving forward, Gabriel took all of Vivi’s length into his mouth. It touched the back of his throat, surprising him, and he pulled back enough that he wouldn’t gag. The boy’s erection lay hot and heavy against his tongue. Gabriel started sucking and licking, the way he recalled Ilac doing to him, and within seconds, all of Vivi’s protests dropped off.

Gabriel quickly discovered the ways he could make Vivi moan. The boy’s vocal pleasure was encouraging, and Gabriel set his focus on the task at hand, blocking out thoughts of everything else. Vivi’s fingers tangled in his silver hair, trembling, but not trying to guide his movements. 

Vivi’s begging came out between panting breaths. “Oh, G-Gabriel, no, no, please, stop, I’m gonna come, no, wait, please…” 

Suddenly, Gabriel realized he had not thought that far ahead. Did he swallow? Collect it in his mouth and spit it out? Stop completely and find a bit of fabric to collect the mess?

While he debated, his choice was made for him. The erection spasmed and pushed forward, fluid gushing from the tip and shooting down Gabriel’s throat. He swallowed involuntarily and pulled back. Another spasm coated his tongue. It had a strong, metallic taste, not entirely unpleasant, but very different than his own. Gabriel released the member from his mouth as it twitched a third time, splattering his cheek and dripping down his neck.

“Oh, no,” Vivi gasped, staring down at him in dismay. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I tried to warn you. I’m so sorry. So, so sorry.”

Vivi took the sash across his tunic off and crouched before Gabriel. He used the fabric to wipe Gabriel’s cheek and neck. 

“It’s fine, Vivi,” said Gabriel. He took the boy’s hand in his and smiled at him. “I should be the one apologizing. I got carried away.”

Gulping, Vivi whispered, “Can I at least return the favor?”

Gabriel raised a silver eyebrow. Part of him was certainly up for that. “We should really study,” he said carefully. “I haven’t even started my assignment for History.”

“I already finished mine this afternoon. You could… You could c-copy it.”

“I couldn’t do that, Vivi,” he lied, the words coming across sweet and honest. “What if someone found out? We would get in trouble. It would be wrong.”

“I won’t tell. I promise,” the boy said earnestly.

Gabriel acted like he was thinking it over, debating whether it was the right thing to do. Finally, he said, “Okay, but just this once. I don’t think I could get anything done in this state anyway. I just keep thinking of how cute your voice sounds when you moan.” 

Vivi blushed and licked his lips. “Do you want to move to the bed?” 

Gabriel smiled at the Terran. “Yes, I do.”

For the remainder of the evening, Gabriel lounged on his bed while Vivi crouched between his spread thighs. The Terran boy held his wings open above him as he slowly licked and sucked. Some of the girls Gabriel had been with had more experience and skill, but he didn’t mind the diligent way Vivi lavished attention on him. 

Anyway, there was no hurry tonight. Gabriel relaxed and watched the brown-haired boy with a smug smile, knowing his dilemma with History had finally been solved.


	84. Alex: 10th Degree of Tides, 595 DE

“Can I carry your books for you?” Isa asked as he caught up to Alex in the hall after Biology. Despite being so outspoken and rude around others, when they were alone, Isa always acted different, like he was trying to be kind. It made Alex nervous.

“No, I’ve got them.” There was a break after Biology for lunch, and Isa walked with Alex from their class to the lounge where they met their other friends. During the last month, while the boys were grounded, it had been the only time they got to hang out with the girls. Thankfully, that was over now. Alex wasn’t sure how much longer he could have tolerated being stuck in that room every day. 

“I don’t mind. Please, Alex?”

With a sigh, Alex handed the books to Isa. “Fine. Thank you, Isa.”

Grinning, Isa tucked them under his arm with his own books. “So how did you do on the pre-assessment today?” he asked.

“Pre-assessment? I thought that was the test,” Alex replied. 

Isa laughed. “We haven’t learned any of that yet.”

“We haven’t?” Alex bit his lip. That wasn’t good. “I thought I might have spaced out when the instructor covered it.”

“You’re so absentminded, New Moon,” Isa teased, smiling. “So I guess you didn’t do well, huh? I got a third of it right.”

Shyly, Alex said, “I, um, passed.”

“Passed? Like over fifty percent?”

“No, like all of it.” Alex tucked his black hair behind his ears. “Remember how upset Remi was the last time I failed a test?”

“He wasn’t upset, he was just disappointed. He’s been in our room every day making us study. I don’t think my grades have ever been this good.”

“Disappointed is worse. I thought I would show him that I was trying, so passed the test.”

Isa touched Alex’s arm, stopping with him in the hall. “You can’t pass just because you feel like it. We haven’t even learned any of that stuff yet.”

“I don’t know. Everything seemed obvious. I just didn’t leave anything blank this time.”

“Obvious? We’re starting the lessons on cellular biology and regeneration. There’s nothing obvious about it. Did you read ahead in the book or something?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Alex shook his head. 

“So maybe you just got lucky. Tell me, how do cells regenerate?”

Alex started to explain, but he froze before the first syllable left his mouth. He knew the answer. It was simple. But the voice in his head explaining the process wasn’t his own. It was Jequn’s, and Alex realized why he understood the questions without ever having studied the subject at the academy.

Long nights spent at the Isten’s side, laying in a haze of pain as the man droned on about things that made no sense. Alex hadn’t understood the words then, but they came to him now, as clear as if Jequn stood behind him, whispering in his ear with his fingers poised to trail down his spine.

Alex squeezed his wings tight against his back as a chill raced through him. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “I don’t know the answer.”

Nodding, Isa said, “Figures. You just guessed. You’re so lucky, New Moon.” 

“I don’t think that’s it,” Alex muttered, and started walking again.

Isa stayed beside him the whole way to the lounge. Uzzi and Phrasa were already there, claiming the ring of cushions for their group. Uzzi flew over as soon as he saw Alex and Isa enter.

“What’s wrong?” Uzzi asked. “Where are your books?”

“I’ve got them,” said Isa. “And nothing wrong. New Moon just accidentally passed a Biology test.”

Uzzi paled. “We have a test in Biology today?”

“It’s a pre-assessment,” Alex said, calming Uzzi down. “It doesn’t matter how you do.”

With a sigh of relief, Uzzi said, “Good. I’m not looking forward to another one of Remi’s lectures. You know, I think he’s capable of talking without breathing?”

Alex smiled a bit, though he didn’t feel well. He walked over to the ring of cushions and sat across from Phrasa. He signed, _Hello, Rainbow, how are you doing?_

_Hi, New Moon. I am happy today, but you look sad. Did something happen?_ The sign she used for ‘something’ specifically referenced Isa and Uzzi. 

Shaking his head, Alex signed, _Just a bad class, that’s all._

She didn’t quite believe him, but Phrasa was good at reading people’s faces. She often picked up on people’s emotions without them needed to say anything.

Isa sat beside Alex, at his right, and placed the stack of books behind him. Uzzi took the seat on the other side of Alex. “So why were you carrying his books?” the fiery boy asked accusingly.

“I was being nice,” Isa responded. “You should try it sometime.” Uzzi glared at him over Alex’s head. 

Phrasa snapped her fingers until all three of them looked at her. _Stop fighting_ , she signed.

“I’m not fighting,” Isa said. “I was being nice. Fiends, why do you all have to act so suspicious when I try to do something nice?”

“Because you’re never nice,” said Uzzi.

Phrasa snapped her fingers again. _This. This right here is what I mean. Stop it. If you can’t speak to each other nicely, don’t talk at all. I don’t want to hear it._

“Fine,” Isa said, then turned to Uzzi and signed, _Go to hell, you scorched fiend._

Uzzi bared his teeth and signed back, _You snore like an ursal._

_You-_

Alex reached out and grabbed Isa’s hand on his right and Uzzi’s hand on his left, preventing them from signing anything else. Both boys went still as Alex lowered their hands to his sides, continuing to hold them. Isa glanced down and away. Uzzi’s face flushed pink. Neither boy tried to pull away from him. 

Phrasa smiled at Alex and signed, _Thank you._

Something in the way her eyes shifted between the three of them made Alex feel uneasy. His wings gave an anxious flutter before he pulled them tight against his back, suppressing the urge to let go. He had found that his friends often stopped fighting when he touched them. Over the past month, there were days when it had been the only way to get any peace in their small room. 

At his left, Uzzi was a warm, familiar heat. His skin was smooth and soft. His fingers entwined with Alex’s hand, holding tight, but Alex knew his friend would let him go the moment he started to pull away. 

On the other side, Isa’s touch was cool, at least compared to Uzzi. When Alex released him, Isa still didn’t move. His open hand remained relaxed at Alex’s side, even as the black-haired boy brushed his fingertips over the rough callouses on Isa’s palm. Every long weekend, Isa was required to return home to help his family. His mother and uncles were foresters, and the strenuous work they expected Isa to learn left his skin tough. It also made him deceptively strong.

When Mace arrived with the basket of food a few minutes later, the Homm princess Nakia walked in beside her laughing over something the Terran girl had said. “Look who I found,” Mace said, grinning as she placed the basket in the center of the circle. “Nakia was still on the other side of the academy, running for the stairs, when I swooped down and caught her.”

“I always feel like a field mouse before a hawk when you jump out at me like that,” said Nakia. She smiled at Mace. “I appreciate the lift, though. This academy was not designed for wingless girls like me.”

“Anytime, Dagger,” said Mace, then she took a seat beside Phrasa.

When Alex first introduced everyone to Nakia, he wasn’t sure if they would all get along. Nakia was a whole year older than them, and didn’t have shared classes with anyone. The first few moments had been awkward, but then Phrasa complimented Nakia’s ceremonial knife, translated through Mace, and the girls had gotten along great after that. 

Nakia smiled at Alex as she sat on the cushion between Phrasa and Isa. She noticed how Alex sat, touching the hands of the boys at his sides, and her smile widened a little more. 

Blushing, Alex released Isa and Uzzi. They were both calmer now, and wouldn’t fight anymore. “Is Froggy coming today?” he asked.

Phrasa shook her head. _Dance practice. They’ll be performing in Marut at the end of the month._

Nakia turned, watching Phrasa’s hands, but then she looked to Mace. Mace said, “She said Nenghi is at dance practice today.”

“Oh,” said Nakia. “Then we’re all here?”

“Great,” said Isa. “Let’s eat.” He leaned forward and opened the basket of food, passing out wrapped bundles. He gave Nakia one first, then continued around the circle, ending with himself. “There’s still two more in there.” 

Mace popped the string off her bundle. “I just stuffed as much as I could in the basket. They know I’m grabbing food for all of us, but that old fiend acts like I’m stealing. I took what I could and got out of there before she made me lay it out and justify every bundle again.”

Because Mace’s morning class was closest to the dining hall, she usually picked up the food for lunch. Every once in a while, she’d be busy, and Phrasa or Uzzi would do it, but otherwise it was Mace. 

Everyone unwrapped their bundles and began eating the assortment of fruit, nuts, and bread within. There was a sweet bun at the bottom of the bundle that Alex wouldn’t eat, so he held it out. “Anyone want this?” he asked.

“I’ll take it,” both Uzzi and Isa said at the same moment. They glared at each other, and held out their hands. Alex looked between them, unsure who he should give it to. They were both waiting, expecting it, and he didn’t want to hurt either of their feelings by giving it to one and not the other. 

With a dramatic sigh, Nakia reached out and snatched the bun from Alex’s hand. “Thanks, little bird.” She took a big bite of it, glaring at Uzzi and Isa as if fending off a challenge. 

“Hey!” Uzzi complained.

Mace chuckled. “You can each have another bundle from the basket. There’s another bun in there.”

“Not the point,” Uzzi muttered. He ate the rest of his food sullenly. Alex felt kind of guilty, but he was glad he hadn’t been the one to make the choice.

“So, are you guys still grounded?” Mace asked.

“We are officially free, as of today,” answered Isa, grinning while he ate some of the nuts. 

_Congratulations_ , Phrasa signed. _Will you stay out of trouble now?_

“We’ll only be in trouble if we get caught,” Isa said. 

“We’re not grounded anymore, but I don’t think Remi trusts us yet,” said Uzzi. 

“I can’t imagine why,” Mace mused. 

“Does that mean you can visit me again?” Nakia asked Alex.

He nodded. “After class, or this weekend.”

“I can’t this weekend,” Nakia said. “My father has sent an envoy from home, and I have to meet them at an inn near Sihanra Cairn this weekend.

“Oh, I love it there,” said Mace. “The cliffs have these amazing updrafts and you can just jump out, spread your wings, and float. You should definitely try it while you’re there.”

“Did you just tell me to jump off a cliff?” Nakia asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Mace stared at the Homm princess a moment before her eyes got wide. “No, I didn’t mean- I forgot! I’m sorry.” 

Nakia smiled and laughed. “I’m just teasing. I know it’s easy to forget. Actually, Headmaster Iscriel said I’m allowed to bring a couple friends along with the escort he’s sending with me. Do you want to come?”

“Me?” asked Mace. She looked at Phrasa. 

“Both of you,” said Nakia. “I would invite Nenghi, too, but it sounds like she’s busy with dance practice.”

“What about us?” asked Uzzi.

Nakia turned to him. “Headmaster said I can only invite girls.” Her brown eyes shifted to Alex. “I already asked.”

“It’s okay,” Alex replied. “I don’t think I would have been allowed to go anyway.”

“Why is that?” asked Nakia. “You’re not grounded anymore.”

Uzzi, Isa, and Mace exchanged nervous glances with each other. “You’ve never met New Moon’s brother,” said Uzzi.

“Alex needs separate permission before going anywhere,” added Isa.

“And his brother is terrifying,” said Mace.

Phrasa brushed bread crumbs from her fingers before signing, _New Moon’s older brother can’t be that bad. You all are overreacting. Stop trying to scare Dagger._

“You were unconscious when he came in the room,” Isa replied. “You don’t even know. I thought he was going to kill Inferno.”

“I thought so, too,” Mace said. “He picked him up like he was a cub, and Inferno just curled up like he was going to die.”

“I was going to die,” insisted Uzzi. “You didn’t see the look in his eyes.” 

Nakia glanced between them all, her brow furrowed. “I need to hear this story. Tell me what happened,” she demanded.

Taking turns, Uzzi, Isa, and Mace told the story of the lightning strike and the tree. When Phrasa had a detail to add, Mace translated it so Nakia could understand. 

Alex ate and let them talk. There was nothing he had to contribute to the conversation. After the tree branch fell on him, everything got kind of blurry in his memory, then abruptly cut out until he woke hours later with Gabriel at his side. By then, they were the only two left in the medic’s office.

As they told the story, Nakia’s eyes grew wider. When they finished, she said, “You all are crazy! Phrasa got electrocuted, Nenghi broke her arm, Alex nearly died, but it’s Alex’s brother you’re all afraid of?”

“If you met him, you’d understand,” said Uzzi. Mace and Isa nodded. 

“Besides, everyone recovered,” added Isa.

“But Alex nearly died,” Nakia said, sounding increasingly frustrated. “And then with the auroch stampede…”

“It really wasn’t that bad,” said Alex, hoping to calm her. “I’ve been hurt worse before.”

“Right,” said Mace. “Alex used to get hurt all the time. He’s really clumsy.”

“He is not clumsy,” said Uzzi. “He just has bad luck. That’s why I made his good luck charm.” 

Alex slipped the necklace out from beneath his shirt, holding the wooden charm in his hand. Everyone leaned in to look at it. Isa said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you take it off, but it doesn’t seem to work very well, does it? When we first met, you were still getting hurt a lot.”

Defensively, Uzzi said, “It just took a little while to warm up.”

“Well, the teachers always said he was clumsy,” replied Mace. “That’s why they didn’t suspend you when you pushed him off the ledge.”

“I didn’t push him!” Uzzi yelled, the air around him heating up. “He tripped!”

“That’s what being clumsy means!” Mace yelled back.

Alex reached through the heat surrounding Uzzi to touch his arm. “It’s okay,” he said. Uzzi turned toward him, his eyes aflame, but when he met Alex’s placid black gaze, the heat faded from the air.

“I’m sorry, Alex. I wish I’d been faster.”

“It’s not your fault,” he told his friend. “I just fell.”

“Wait, you fell?” asked Nakia. “Can’t you fly?”

“When I first came here, I wasn’t very good at it,” said Alex. He tucked the wooden medallion back under his shirt. “I’m still not that good.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Mace. “You’re faster than all of us.”

_It’s true_ , signed Phrasa. _At least for quick bursts. That’s why you won the relay last year._

Alex smiled at Phrasa and signed, _We won as a team._

If she hadn’t been so supportive of him, he probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to race at all. There had been a lot of people there that day, and it had been very loud. Once he was in the air, the pounding of his heart had blocked out all the noise, but before that had been really difficult. Still, he missed having the morning class with them all.

Uzzi nudged Alex’s arm. “I bet when your wings get bigger, you’ll be even faster.”

“You think so?” asked Alex.

“Of course.” His smile warmed Alex’s chest. 

Nakia finished the last of her food. “Lunch is almost over, and I need to start walking if I’m going to make it to my next class in time. Mace, Phrasa, are you going to come with me to the cairn?” 

The two Terran girls shared a look. “Yeah,” said Mace. “It sounds like fun.”

“Great. We’ll leave after class at the end of the week. If Nenghi is available, she can come too.”

Phrasa grinned and signed, _I’ve never been part of a royal escort before._

Mace laughed. “Hey, Princess, you want a lift to your next class?”

“If you’re offering, I won’t say no,” said Nakia. She stood, the shells at her side clicking together as she adjusted the dagger at her hip. She smiled at Alex. “See you boys later.”

“Bye, Nakia,” he replied, looking up at the Homm princess. She waved and walked away with Mace and Phrasa.

Uzzi dug the last two bundles of food out of the basket. “Eat now or save for later?” 

“Later. I’ll fly them up to our room before class.” Isa held out his hand. “It’ll make a good snack when I’m beating you in Stone and Sky.”

“Ha! If you beat me.” Uzzi tossed him the food. 

Isa caught it and grinned. He picked up his books, leaving Alex’s on the floor. Walking backward toward the door, he made a face at Uzzi and said, “Is that a bet?”

“I already took all your money. You’ve got nothing left.”

“Oh, I’ll think of something.” Isa grinned, waved, and flew off to take the bundles of food back to their room before the next class.

“He’s such a jerk,” Uzzi said, though he was smiling. He tossed all the cloth and string remnants from lunch into the basket. When he was done cleaning up, he placed the basket by the door. Staff from the kitchen would be along later to collect it. 

Alex picked up his books. “You like hanging out with him, don’t you? Even though you two fight all the time.”

“Yeah, but you can’t tell him. It’ll go right to his head.” Uzzi raised his wings in a shrug. “And it’s not really fighting. We argue, but it’s just because he’s always around.”

“I’m always around. You don’t fight with me.” He followed Uzzi from the lounge. They both had history next, so they always walked together.

“You’re different, Alex.”

“How?” he asked. It was something he heard a lot since coming to the academy. Teachers, students, friends, they all told him he was different, but he wasn’t sure how. No one was exactly the same as anyone else. Why was it only him they called different?

“It’s because…” Uzzi glanced at Alex from the corner of his eye. “It’s because, when you’re with me, it’s different. I don’t want to fight with you.”

“So fighting is normal?”

“K-Kind of?” The two red dots of Uzzi’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know, Alex. I can’t really explain it. It doesn’t mean anything bad. You’re just not like other boys.”

Alex frowned. “But I am a boy.”

“I know, but maybe it would be easier if you weren’t.” 

The black of Alex’s eyes shifted in the light. “Why would that be easier?”

Uzzi’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t know. Forget I said anything. Come on, or we’re going to be late to class.” He rushed on ahead, leaving Alex to carry his books alone. 


	85. Gabriel: 18th Degree of Tides, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel receives an unexpected visitor to his room.

Gabriel had a lazy day planned for the middle weekend of the month of Tides. It was summer, and the heat outside was enough to make the edges of his feathers curl, so he lounged in his cool, stone room, summoning patterns of frost to coat his skin. He had no other obligations today. No coursework, secret dates, or seductions to upkeep. His arrangement with Tassin had been taken care of at the end of the week. Gabriel had nothing to do, but relax.

It was difficult to relax completely. If he was awake, Gabriel found he had to stay busy, otherwise his mind would wander, and he didn’t like where it ended up. He often read the old prophecies and interpretations, because reading other people’s problems were easier than dealing with his own. 

Gabriel lay naked on his stomach, an old scroll draped across his bed. He slowly fanned his wings, moving the air around his body. The frost had melted on his skin, the cold water evaporating quickly, so he summoned a new layer. Swirling patterns of ice spread across his body, instantly chilling his skin. He had all his silver hair pinned up, held in place by a couple long quills. He was as comfortable as he was going to get in the heat, short of going out and swimming in the shallow part of the pool at the base of the waterfall with the other students, but he had absolutely no intention of leaving his room today.

Just as he got to the prophecy that had triggered the start of the Yfelri Age on Ahn nearly eight-thousand years ago, someone knocked. Gabriel scowled, glaring back at the door over his spread wing. Everyone he worked with understood not to show up unexpectedly. They all had their assigned days.

Maybe it was someone else. The person probably had the wrong door, and would go away when they realized their mistake. He was about to return to his reading, when the knock came again, louder and more insistent.

Gabriel swore and climbed off his bed. He grabbed a sash of light fabric and tied it around his hips as he walked toward the door. He flung it open, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

It was Erem. 

Coming face to face with his childhood friend after months of not speaking to him was startling. “Erem? What are you doing here?”

Erem smiled crookedly and held up a basket. “I brought snacks. Can I come in?”

Everything about Erem was familiar and strange all at once. The blue-skinned boy had grown his hair out more. His blond hair fell in waves down over his ears. Long, lean muscles, developed from hours of swimming, were becoming clearly defined, shown off under the light yellow sash draped across his chest. He was taller, and more mature, but Gabriel was surprised to find that he had passed Erem in height. 

The only thing truly different about Erem was the look in his eyes. Even as he smiled, his yellow eyes were wary and uncertain.

Gabriel couldn’t find the right words, so he just stepped back, opened the door wider, and allowed Erem to come in. The boy who had been his best friend entered. He looked around the room with a low whistle, and sat the basket on the desk while Gabriel closed the door.

“Nice. You have it all to yourself?” Erem asked.

Gabriel stood by the door, watching him. “I do.” 

“Oh, and your own bath?” Erem peered through the door. “Lucky.” He continued pacing around the room. He stopped before the pictures hanging on the wall and tilted his head. “That doesn’t seem like your style, though.”

“Alex drew them.” 

“Ah.” 

This whole situation was awkward. Was Erem just going to keep walking around, making observations about the room? 

“Why are you here?” Gabriel asked.

“It’s hot out,” Erem said, returning to the basket. He lifted the cloth from the top and started removing various fruit. “I thought we could make some frozen fruit slushes and cool off. I’ll slice and you freeze, just like always.”

“Erem…” Gabriel rubbed his temple. “ _Why_ are you here.”

Erem stopped removing things from the basket. He didn’t look back. “I miss you,” he said. “I miss my best friend. I wish I could go back and change what happened. I never should have lied to you as long as I did, but I was scared. I was afraid if I stayed with Barach, I would lose you, but if I didn’t stay with Barach, I would lose him. I thought I could have you both. Instead, I sit alone in my room while Barach is off playing in the Summer Hunt, and you’re seven levels away, but you might as well be on the other side of E’din. I made a mistake, and I want to apologize. I want to be your friend again.” 

With a weak smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Erem turned and said, “Besides, you know I can’t conjure ice in this heat to save my life. I need you.”

Despite the conflicting emotions fighting in Gabriel’s chest, he smiled softly and asked, “Did you bring a melon?”

Erem grinned wide and laughed a bit like he was trying not to cry. “Yeah, I did.”

***

Gabriel and Erem sat on the stone floor at the end of the bed, several bowls and a pile of fruit between them. Gabriel peeled the rinds from some of the citrus while Erem finely diced a melon. When Erem added cut pieces to the large bowl, Gabriel froze another thin layer of ice over the fruit to keep it fresh until they were ready to blend it together.

Sitting and making fruit slushes on a hot day was a very childish thing to do, but Gabriel secretly enjoyed it. He couldn’t do something so immature with anyone else. He had an image to maintain. But Erem… Erem he had known since his first year at Archridge. He had grown up with the boy, gotten in trouble with the boy. Eaten, slept, and bathed with the boy. They were as close as family.

But Erem had lied to him. He lied to Gabriel’s face for at least a year, probably more. That betrayal still hurt, though it was numbed some now, having Erem sitting before him. 

Gabriel had been naive. He’d been so caught up with his own problems that he hadn’t been able to see the lies right in front of his face. It wouldn’t happen again.

“Ugh, it’s so hot today,” Erem complained when he picked up the next fruit. They still had a lot to go. “I forgot how long this takes to prepare.

“Do you mind?” Gabriel asked, holding a hand out toward him.

“Please,” Erem insisted. 

Reaching over, Gabriel touched a finger to Erem’s arm. White frost spread over his blue skin like lace, covering almost all of him. 

Erem shivered and then laughed. “Much better. _Fiends_ , I missed having you around.”

Gabriel withdrew his hand and resumed peeling the fruit. “Erem, you know we can’t go back to how things were before.”

“I don’t want to go back to that, either,” he said. “But you’re still my best friend, and I promise I’ll never lie to you again.”

Running his thumb over the bumpy rind of the citron in his hand, Gabriel said, “Actually… you can’t lie to me.”

“What?”

Gabriel shrugged. He hadn’t tried explaining the feeling to anyone before now. “When people lie, I can tell. Their pulse shifts and their words vibrate in the air wrong. It took me a while to figure out what I was sensing.”

Erem stopped cutting. He stared at Gabriel, yellow eyes wide. “Wait, are you serious? You can see lies?”

“Not actually see, but yeah.”

“Any lie? So if I said, my eyes are green, you could tell?”

Gabriel raised a silver brow. “I know what color your eyes are, Erem.”

“Right, right. Too easy. Okay…” Erem thought for a moment. “Barach broke your clay pot fourth year.”

The air trembled around the words subtly. Gabriel blinked. “That was _you_?!”

Erem grimaced. “Yeah… I was messing around and my wing knocked it off the shelf. I knew how proud you were of it, and that you were planning on bringing it home to show your father, and I just couldn’t stand the thought of how angry you were going to be with me. Barach offered to take the blame.” 

“I punched him over that.”

“I know, and I felt really bad.”

Gabriel shook his head. “It’s probably for the best that it broke. My father would have hated it anyway.” With a heavy sigh, he finished peeling the rind from the citron. He added the fruit to the pile for Erem to cut, then picked up another. “Barach has really done a lot for you over the years, hasn’t he? Was it always because…”

When Gabriel hesitated, Erem finished the question for him. “Because he had a crush on me? Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t think it was always like that. It wasn’t for me, at least.”

Gabriel looked down at the fruit in his hands. It felt so awkward discussing this at all, but he wanted to know. “How did you two get together?”

Erem’s focused on cutting the remainder of the melon while he spoke. “It was a game, at first. Remember how Barach would bully us just because he was bigger and older than us?”

“I remember,” Gabriel said. Barach used to make him cry all the time when they were children. It was never anything cruel, but Barach got bored easily. He would pick on Gabriel until he was so frustrated that he would either cry or fight him. The older Ahnnak seemed satisfied with either outcome. It got better after Barach started helping out in the stables.

Nervously, Erem said, “Well, one day, he was in one of his moods, and we were wrestling. Barach had me pinned down, and I was trying to get away from him. I tried to push him off and ended up grabbing his, um… Well I meant it as a joke, but he never told me to stop. And he was more mature than us, and I was kind of curious, and… It just kept going from there.”

“That’s it? That’s why you’re with him?”

Erem shrugged briefly while he continued to slowly fan his wings and move the air over his frosted blue skin. “It’s how it started. It was a game, just like how we all used to wrestle or fight. I thought it was fun. We were even going to ask you to play with us.”

“Me?” asked Gabriel, surprised.

Nodding, Erem said, “We joked around about it with you. You flat out rejected the idea.”

Had he? He didn’t even remember. “When was this?”

“Like… seventh year, I think? We had that nasty Geomagnetic Theology instructor, and I remember Barach kissing me for the first time when we got sent to the hall for disrupting class. You were still in the room trying to argue your way out of the punishment.”

Gabriel frowned a bit. He remembered the instructor, but he couldn’t remember any sign that his two friends had been developing a relationship with each other. It was hard to believe it had been going on for so long and he didn’t know about it. How stupid had he been? “Why did you want to include me? You two seem happy.”

“I told you I don’t want to lie to you anymore, and the truth is…” Erem swallowed hard and licked his blue lips. “The truth is, I like you. I’ve liked you since first year. I thought if you joined us, maybe… Maybe you would feel the same about me, too.”

 _Like._ Present tense. As in current. “But you’re with Barach. He said he loves you.”

“And I love him,” Erem said quickly. The words buzzed, not quite a lie, but filled with enough uncertainty and doubt that they might as well have been. “I don’t see why I can’t care about you both.” 

“I don’t feel that way about you, Erem. I’ve only ever seen you as a friend. Even if I did feel that way about you, I couldn’t take the risk.”

Looking down, Erem said, “I know, and after these last few months, I realize that even if we’re only friends forever, I still want to be at your side. It doesn’t have to be more, if you don’t want it. I’m happy like this.”

“As just friends?”

“Just friends,” Erem agreed.

They finished preparing all the fruit, leaving the seeds and rinds in a separate bowl. Erem was always good with a knife, and sliced the remaining fruit quickly. 

When the big bowl was full, Gabriel took over. He focused on the different layers of ice and spun them in different directions before breaking down the ice into smaller chunks and blending it all together. He mixed everything until the ice and fruit were a smooth slush. 

“Perfect,” Erem said happily.

Gabriel touched the outside of the bowl, freezing it to keep everything cold, then sat back. In the heat, using that much energy to create and control ice was tiring. He fanned his wings, moving the air over the last of the frost as it melted on his skin. A few tendrils of silver hair hung down from his bun, tickling along his neck and shoulders.

Erem scooped some of the slushed fruit into two small bowls. He handed one to Gabriel, which he took gratefully. They both tilted the bowls up, drinking mixture. Cold bursts of sweet and sour fruit danced across Gabriel’s tongue, the chill following into his stomach. It was delicious. A perfect meal for the heat.

Erem crunched on some of the ice, smiling. “I really did miss you.”

“You could make ice if you tried, Erem,” Gabriel said. He held out his empty bowl, and Erem scoop more of the frozen fruit mixture into it.

“Maybe in winter, when it’s already close to freezing. In this heat, I can barely summon water.” He shrugged, still smiling. “I don’t mind, though. It was a good excuse to come see you.”

“Did you tell Barach you were coming?” Gabriel asked as he took a sip from the bowl. 

Erem’s smile faltered. “He’s with the Hunt. He wouldn’t have cared.”

“He might. He seemed pretty upset the last time I saw him.”

“Yeah, but, so were you.”

“I know, and… I’m sorry about what I said. I didn’t mean it. I was just angry.”

“We’ve been friends for years. I know you better than anyone. You said what you did because you were hurt. I don’t blame you. I know you didn’t really mean it.” Erem filled his bowl again. “Barach would forgive you, too. He’s as stubborn as you are, and won’t admit it, but I can tell he misses you. You just have to talk to him.”

“I don’t know… I-”

Three sharp knocks interrupted Gabriel’s words. He stared at the door, trying to figure out who else would show up, when a voice called, “Ahnnak Gabriel? Are you in?”

It was Headmaster Iscriel. Gabriel silver brow furrowed. He only ever came to talk if it was something important, or Gabriel was in trouble. His mind raced, trying to come up with anything he had done that he could get caught for. Unless Tassin snitched, there wasn’t anything. Gabriel had been careful.

He sat down his bowl and got up, adjusting the fabric around his waist. “Stay there,” he told Erem as he approached the door. He opened it, peering out at the headmaster. 

The Terran man smiled at him. “Ah, good, young Gabriel. You’re in.” He pushed the door open and walked into Gabriel’s room, not waiting for in invitation. 

Gabriel’s eye twitched, but he was better at hiding his irritation than he used to be. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Headmaster Iscriel?” he asked, keeping his voice formal as he closed the door behind the man.

Iscriel noticed Erem on the floor with slush mixture. “Eremiel. Been a while since I’ve seen you. Keeping out of trouble? I hope you’re not distracting our top student from his studies.”

Erem glared up at the headmaster. “Everyone has to eat, Crispy.”

The Terran tensed, caught off guard by the nickname. “Detention, Ahnnak Eremiel. Tomorrow after class. You know where the room is.”

Erem’s lip twitched back in a sneer, but he didn’t say anything else. 

Headmaster Iscriel turned to Gabriel, smiling again. “Now. About my visit. I have an important message for you from your father.”

Gabriel’s wings stopped fanning the air, going rigid behind him. “A message?”

“Yes. The Isten Jequn states that you are to escort your brother home for the Harvest.”

“What?” Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat. “B-But we need to stay. I need to study.”

Iscriel chuckled jovially. “Oh, young Ahnnak. You’re so diligent in your studies. Don’t worry. A couple weeks away during the break will not set you back in class.”

“I want to see the message.”

“Yes, of course.” Iscriel removed a small roll of parchment from his pocket. It was tied with a small silver ribbon. “The message arrived on the tablet system, but I took the honor of copying the Isten’s words down for you.”

Gabriel grabbed the roll of parchment and slipped the ribbon off. He pulled the small paper open and read the message. “This is exactly what he wrote?”

“Of course, Ahnnak Gabriel. Is there anything you’d like to tell your father? I can send a message back.”

There was a lot Gabriel would like to tell his father, but none of it was appropriate to say before the headmaster. “No, thank you,” he replied. 

“As you wish. I will inform him you received the message and are eagerly awaiting your return home. Farewell, Ahnnak Gabriel. Keep up the good work.”

Gabriel bowed as the headmaster left. He didn’t say anything, because he was certain that anything that came out wouldn’t be pleasant. When the door shut, Gabriel straighted, his eyes cold. He clenched his fist, crushing the parchment in his hand. 

“You okay, Gabe?” Erem asked.

“Don’t call me that.” Gabriel walked past him to his desk.

“Sorry. Gabriel. What’s wrong? Why is your father insisting you come home?”

Gabriel stood with his back to the room. His wings were too tense to fold. “Erem, I need you to leave.” 

“Why? Gabriel, whatever is bothering you, you can tell me-”

“Just go, Erem!” Gabriel yelled, slamming his fist down on the desk. The wood splintered, jabbing into his hand, making his skin bleed.

Erem stood. “No. I won’t leave you again.”

Gabriel turned, glaring at him with ice blue eyes. “I told you to go.”

Erem walked toward him. “I won’t. You can yell at me, you can hit me, I don’t care. I’m not going anywhere.” He reached out and took Gabriel’s bleeding hand, holding it close to his chest. “I’m your friend, and I’m staying with you, no matter what.”

His yellow eyes were sincere. Gabriel couldn’t stand to look at him. He attempted to pull his hand away, but Erem held tight. “Stop it.”

“No. Gabriel, even if you won’t tell me what’s wrong, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to let you push me away again.”

“If you don’t let go of my hand, I’m going to electrocute you.”

Erem squeezed tighter. “Do it.”

Gabriel glared at him, his vision blurring as tears stung at his eyes. He channeled the energy along his arm, but hesitated before he released it. Erem didn’t let go, even as he felt surge approach him. 

“Why are you like this?” Gabriel cried, his voice breaking.

“I’m your friend. You need someone who isn’t going to leave, no matter what you do.” He moved closer, pressing Gabriel’s hand against his heart. They were standing nearly nose to nose, but Gabriel still didn’t release the energy. Erem smiled at him, then reached out and pulled Gabriel into a hug. “I’m going to stay by your side forever, Gabriel.” 

Gabriel remained tense for a few moments, too stunned to do or say anything. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. He sniffled, then wrapped his arm around Erem and pressed his face into his shoulder. 

“You’re so stupid,” Gabriel muttered, struggling not to cry.

“Yeah, I know.” Erem held him for a while, the embrace nothing more than a comforting hug between friends. 

When Gabriel felt he had his emotions under control again, he pushed back. Erem released him this time. “I’m sorry,” Gabriel told him.

“It’s okay. I’ve seen you snap before. This was nothing. You can’t scare me. I’m here for good. Even if you try to push me away.” He grinned. “I know you. The real you. You don’t have to hide anything from me.”

Erem’s words made Gabriel tear up again. He’d been pretending for so long, hiding and suppressing his emotions, for fear of how everyone would react. He felt so alone.

“I might hurt you,” he confessed.

“Nah. I can take it.” Erem gave him a crooked smile. “Do you want to talk about the message from your father?”

Gabriel swallowed past the lump in his throat and shook his head. “No… There’s nothing I can do about it now. Let’s, um, let’s finish eating the slush before it gets too warm.”

“Alright, Gabriel. Sure.” 

They sat and talked about other things for the rest of the afternoon, keeping the topics light and cheerful. Erem explained how he was taking Ar home every long break, because she missed the ocean. Gabriel told him about working with Lorcas in class, and how he’d blown an energy casing up in his face. Erem laughed so hard at that, some of the slush came out his nose.

It was good to honestly laugh again. 

Curfew approached. Erem helped Gabriel clean up, then took the basket with him when he left. “I’ll see you later,” Erem said.

“Yeah. Later.” He smiled and waved, closing the door behind his friend.

Alone once more, Gabriel walked over to his broken desk and picked up the crumpled parchment. He smoothed it out against the wood. 

_Gabriel,_

_The Harvest approaches. As befitting an heir, you will return to the estate of the Isten of your own lineage during the holiday. You will escort your brother, and arrive no later than the first. It pains me to think of you remaining alone during the break, and I will be forced to come collect you both, should you not be able to make the journey on your own. I am certain the importance of a unified family is not lost on you, my son._

_Jequn_

At the bottom, Iscriel had added a note that said, _Word of the Honorable Isten transcribed by Iscriel, Headmaster of Archridge Academy, on the 18th of Tides in our 595th year of the Dominion of E’din._

Gabriel wondered how the headmaster could have written out the note without picking up on the blatant hatred and malice Jequn held for Gabriel in his veiled words. Maybe he had. Maybe Iscriel just didn’t care, like all the other adults Gabriel knew. Then again, maybe Gabriel had been reading too many old prophecies, and was interpreting more than was written. Either way, the Isten’s threat was clear. 

Jequn expected him to return home with Alex, because that’s what loving, devoted sons were supposed to do during their holidays. They needed to appear as a unified family, loyal to the Isten, free from suspicion. 

It made Gabriel nauseous. He hated the thought of returning Alex to that estate, even for one day. He had managed to keep Alex safe for months now. Jequn had no reason to hurt the little boy, and he couldn’t be allowed to get his hands on Alex ever again.

Gabriel wanted to keep his little brother as far from Jequn as possible, but he knew he didn’t have a choice this time. They had to return home. Having Jequn come to the academy wasn’t an option. The Isten would be furious if he had to show up and deal with outright disobedience, and he might use that as an excuse not to let Alex return.

With four weeks before the Harvest, Gabriel had to think up a plan to keep Alex safe. Even if they only returned for a week, they would go, and Gabriel would protect Alex, no matter what.


	86. Remiel: 14th Degree of Predators, 595 DE

Remiel twisted the rings in his ear as he stared vacantly down the hall outside Alex’s last class, waiting for the younger students to be dismissed. He’d been forced to pierce his ears again after an instructor demanded he remove all his visible piercings during a class last week. The holes had healed over within the hour. The instructor had been particularly smug as Remiel stormed out of the room after class, all his loose piercings in his hand. 

There was no way Remiel was going to let some old fashioned Terran tell him what to do. Every piecing was going back, in triplicate, once he got the money. For now, he left the nose stud out, and kept the rest hidden beneath his hair. 

At least no one besides Sophie knew about the nipple piercings. He’d done the other one at the beginning of summer, as a stress reliever after dealing with the boys while they were grounded. 

That had been a difficult month for everyone, and Remiel hoped he wouldn’t have a repeat of it any time soon. The boys had been on their best behavior since then. Either that, or they were getting sneakier.

Excited children poured from the classrooms around Remiel, and he stopped touching his ear and stood up straight to avoid being bumped into. It was like the kids didn’t even see him there. They were energetic little beasts, probably in part due to the excitement of the upcoming holiday. One of them stepped on Remiel’s foot and didn’t even pause to apologize. 

As the flood calmed, Alex walked from his class, black hair hanging in a loose sheet around his shoulders, nearly to his hips. He stopped before Remiel, looking up with defiant black eyes. “I want to go see my brother.”

The pain in his foot was the least of Remiel’s problems at the moment. “Alex, he’s probably busy. If this is about last night-”

“I want to see him,” Alex insisted.

“We talked about this.” 

“Remi, if you won’t take me, I’ll go by myself.”

With a sigh, Remiel said, “I miss when you were too shy to talk back to me.” He pinched Alex’s cheek. “I’ll take you, brat.” 

“Thanks,” Alex said with obvious relief. The little boy didn’t like walking around the advanced curriculum dorms alone, not since he’d gotten lost there. Someone had told him the students would ‘eat him alive,’ and though Remiel tried to explain that it was just an expression, Alex still seemed to believe it.

They made their way up to the advanced curriculum rooms. Remiel already knew what Alex wanted to talk to his brother about. Last night, Remiel finally revealed to the little boy that he’d be going home during the Harvest. Alex hadn’t taken it well. 

It had been months since Remiel had to deal with one of Alex’s tantrums. Eventually, he got him calmed down enough to talk, but it took long enough that his roommates returned in the middle of it. Both Uzzi and Isa had looked terrified to see their usually quiet friend kicking and screaming. Remiel sent them away quickly, and they actually listened to him the first time.

When Alex was calmer, Remiel sat with him on his bed and gently combed his black hair. He explained how he had been trying to get Alex out of going, but Headmaster Iscriel was firm about the matter. Nothing would stop the Gabriel and Alex from returning home next month, one way or another. Isten’s orders. 

Alex wasn’t happy about it, but honestly, neither was Remiel. They just didn’t have a choice.

They walked through the familiar, maze-like halls of the AC dorms and stopped before Gabriel’s door. Remiel knocked six times, an even rhythm, so Gabriel would know it was them. 

There were some rumors going around about the silver-haired boy that Remiel wasn’t keen on Alex discovering. Sure, most of it was probably just fascinated gossip about an heir, but Gabriel was at that age. Experimenting was normal. Notifying him it was them with a knock would give Gabriel enough time to look presentable before coming out and talking to Alex. That benefited everyone.

“Does it still hurt?” asked Alex.

“Hm?” Remiel looked down at him, confused for a moment. Then he realized he was spinning the ring in his ear again. He hadn’t even noticed he was doing it. He lowered his hand. “Oh. No, I was just thinking about something. It’s healed.”

Alex gazed up at him, his expression unreadable. “What were you thinking about?”

_Your brother having sex._

No, he absolutely could not say that. 

“Getting another piercing,” Remiel replied. Considering that was never far from his mind, it sounded plausible.

Alex frowned a bit. “Another? Won’t you get in more trouble?”

Remiel smiled at the concern the little boy had for him. “Don’t worry about me. There are some things the old generations are wrong about. They need to learn how to adapt.”

“They’re wrong?” Alex blinked a couple times.

“That doesn’t mean you get to disobey your teachers, Alex. You still have to do all your assignments.”

The black-haired boy turned away, but Remiel thought he saw Alex roll his eyes. It made Remiel smile, and he was glad Alex wasn’t facing him. 

Alex was growing faster with roommates, both physically and emotionally. He was still the same sweet, quiet little boy, but he was getting bolder. He was nearly capable of asserting himself, at least against his roommates. There were still days he shut down completely and wouldn’t talk to anyone. Plus, the tantrum last night showed he hadn’t quite outgrown that, but there were a lot more days where Alex laughed now, too. 

Remiel hoped returning home for the holiday wouldn’t change that.

“I don’t think your brother is here. Do you want to check the dining hall?” Remiel asked after they had waited a while.

“It’s too early,” Alex said with a sigh. “He won’t be there.” 

“Then do you want to look in the AC lounge? Maybe he went there after class. If he isn’t, we’ll come back here, knock again, and then fly down to the dining hall.”

Alex thought about it a moment, then nodded. “Okay, Remi.”

The lounge was situated deep enough in the advanced class dorms that regular students wouldn’t access it. While they walked, Remiel spun his earring again. He had fused the gold rings shut this time. If an instructor wanted them out, they were going to have to rip them out. Remiel would not willingly remove them again, no matter what they threatened to do. 

Remiel’s thoughts wandered while they worked their way through the halls. His piercings weren’t the only thing he was worried about. It must have showed on his face, because Alex was watching him, brow furrowed.

The black-haired boy still had difficulty reading people’s expressions. They were working on it, but he didn’t always understand. He got a lot of emotions mixed up with anger. He couldn’t tell the difference between embarrassment and guilt. He could almost always recognize fear, but sometimes he saw happiness the same way. 

Remiel wondered if Alex could recognize worry. He was about to lower his hand from his ear and ask the little boy about it, when they rounded a corner and walked into a wall. 

Well, it wasn’t actually a wall. It was a person, but his body was solid enough he might as well have been a wall. His head snapped back as Remiel’s raised elbow collided with his mouth. Alex bounced off the solid boy’s hip, then stumbled back and fell on the floor. He sat with his wings spread, blinking up in surprise.

Grey eyes focused on Remiel, and the bronze-skinned boy immediately recognized who they walked into. It was the Huntsman that had rescued Alex from the forest. There was blood on his lip. 

“I’m so, so sorry,” Remiel said quickly, holding his hands out. “I didn’t see you there. I didn’t mean to elbow you in the face.”

“You walk around every corner with your elbow sticking out?” Lorcasiel asked irritably. He wiped his hand across his mouth, then looked at the blood on his suntanned skin.

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean to. I was adjusting my earring, and-”

“Your what?” the Huntsman snapped.

Remiel tucked his curly brown hair behind his ear and tapped the gold rings. Lorcasiel scowled at him. “I should rip-” He stopped mid-sentence, as his eyes shifted to Alex on the ground over Remiel’s shoulder. “You?” He looked back at Remiel again. “Oh, I recognize you now. You’re the kid’s nanny.”

“Tutor,” corrected Remiel, kind of annoyed. “Again, really sorry about the elbow to the face.”

“It’s no problem.” Lorcasiel smiled, turning completely friendly. “If I’d been paying attention, it wouldn’t have happened, so it’s my fault, really.” The Huntsman stepped around Remiel and offered his hand to Alex. “You okay, kid?” 

“I’m fine,” Alex said, then took Lorcasiel’s hand. 

Effortlessly, the Huntsman lifted him to his feet. Lorcasiel grinned. “We need to stop meeting this way or people are going to talk.”

“About what?” asked Alex innocently.

Lorcas laughed, and Remiel couldn’t completely hide his own smile. Alex frowned, confused. 

“So, you aren’t lost again, are you?” asked the Huntsman.

“We’re headed to the lounge to look for Gabriel. You haven’t seen him, have you?” asked Remiel. 

“Not since class,” Lorcas huffed. “Honestly, the less I see of the Prince, the better.”

“Prince?” Alex repeated. 

Lorcas smirked down at him. “That’s what the girls have taken to calling your brother. The Silver Prince.” 

Alex frowned a bit. “He’s not a prince.”

With a laugh, Lorcas said, “Sure, little one, and neither are you.” He patted Alex’s head, then turned to Remiel. “He’s probably with his flavor of the day, causing more drama. I can go with you, if you want help finding him.”

“We wouldn’t want to impose,” said Remiel. “I know you’re busy with the Hunt. Congratulations on your last game, by the way.”

“Thank you, but my vice-captain will take over if I’m late. We’re just running drills today. It won’t be a problem.”

“If you’re sure.” Remiel smiled at him. It would be easier finding Gabriel with the Huntsman helping. He probably knew all the spots Gabriel went after class.

“Of course.” Lorcas held his hand out to Alex. “I can’t wait to see your brother’s face when he sees you today. He’s going to be so surprised.”

Alex took the Huntsman’s hand, which shocked Remiel. It was strange for Alex to trust someone enough to touch them. They must have bonded when Lorcas rescued Alex in the woods. The two of them started walking toward the lounge.

With wide, black eyes, Alex looked up at Lorcas and asked, “What does ‘flavor of the day’ mean?”

Lorcas grinned. “Well-”

“It’s a candy,” interjected Remiel. “Just sweets.” He jogged up beside them, and gave Lorcas a warning expression over Alex’s head. Alex turned to look at Remiel, and he disguised the expression with a quick smile.

“Candy,” Lorcas agreed, smirking. “Yes, its a special candy for spoiled little boys with bad attitudes.”

Alex looked between them, trying to figure out what he was missing. “I don’t like candy,” he finally said.

“That’s good,” Lorcas said. “You’re sweet enough as it is. You get any sweeter and someone might eat you up.”

Alex’s wings gave a nervous flutter. Remiel tried to reassure him. “Nobody is going to eat you, Alex. He’s joking.” 

“Just a joke,” Lorcas agreed. “Though, considering who your brother is, you do need to be careful around here. The Prince has a lot of admirers, but he’s got a lot of enemies, too.”

“Enemies?” Alex asked. He looked up at Lorcas and squeezed his hand. “They’re not going to hurt him, are they?”

Lorcas hesitated. Remiel quickly said, “No, of course not, Alex. Your brother is tough. You don’t need to worry about him.” 

For a few seconds, Remiel thought Lorcas wouldn’t back him up. Then the Huntsman sighed and said, “Your nanny is right. Don’t worry so much. You’re going to get wrinkles like a Homm.” He tapped the spot between Alex’s eyebrows. 

The little boy blinked rapidly and rubbed his forehead. “I can get wrinkles?”

“He’s joking, Alex,” Remiel said, but he was relieved the subject had changed. 

They arrived at the lounge soon after. Upon first glance, Remiel didn’t spot Gabriel, but then Alex perked up, and Remiel followed his gaze to see the silver-haired boy sitting at a table, leaning in close to whisper something into a blushing girl’s ear.

Gabriel glanced their way, turned back to the girl, then immediately did a double-take, his eyes going wide. He jumped to his feet. His wings snapped out, almost knocking the girl from the bench. 

“Stay here,” he told her, and tried to calmly walk across the room. The closer he got, the harder his expression became. “What are you doing here?!” he snapped when he stood before Alex, Remiel, and Lorcas. 

“We came to see you,” Lorcas said with a grin. He swung Alex’s hand back and forth. 

Gabriel bristled and glared at the Huntsman. “Alex, come here.” 

“He was helping-” 

“Alex! Now!” 

Alex pulled his hand away from Lorcas and moved toward Gabriel. He stood before him with his eyes downcast. “I wanted to see you,” the little boy said.

“Don’t be mean to your baby brother, baby,” Lorcas scolded. 

“Go to hell, Lorcas,” Gabriel snapped. He grabbed Alex shoulder and walked out of the lounge with him. 

The girl he’d been sitting with stood up and called, “Hey, where are you going?” Gabriel didn’t even glance back at her.

Lorcas chuckled. “Yeah, that was totally worth it.”

Remiel knew he should follow after Gabriel and Alex, but he figured they were just headed back to the silver-haired boy’s room. They could probably used a few minutes alone. He turned to the Huntsman. “You don’t actually get along with him, do you?” he observed. 

“Does anyone?” asked Lorcas. 

Remiel shrugged his wings. The Huntsman wasn’t wrong. “He’s different with Alex.”

“That’s probably the only thing I don’t understand. How did a pompous, violent fiend like Gabriel end up with a little brother like that?” 

It was probably a rhetorical question, but Remiel answered anyway. “Alex used to be really sick.”

“I didn’t think Ahnnak could get sick,” said Lorcas. His eyes revealed a sharp intelligence behind his athletic build. 

Remiel shrugged his wings again. “Whatever the cause, that’s why Alex wasn’t at Archridge until a couple years ago. I think that’s why Gabriel feels responsible for him now.”

“Do you…” Lorcas paused, then tried again. “Do you know anything about their father?”

Speaking ill of an Isten with the wrong people could get him in a lot of trouble. Carefully, Remiel said to the older Terran boy, “I am aware that the Isten Jequn is very strict.”

Lorcas regarded him with a similar suspicion. “With both his sons?”

Remiel remembered the way Alex had shown up at the academy, filthy from travel, too scared to let Remiel help him shower. And those marks on his back…

“It isn’t my place to say.” Remiel bowed to the Huntsman. “Thank you for coming with us today, even if you did it for your own amusement. Alex seems to like you.” He straightened. “Sometimes his judgment of other people’s motives isn’t the most reliable.”

Lorcas tilted his head and smirked at Remiel. “Don’t be so paranoid. I won’t hurt him. I just like messing with Gabriel.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t use Alex as a pawn in your games.”

Nodding, Lorcas said, “You’re probably right.” He bowed his head to Remiel. “See you around, nanny.” 

“Tutor.”

Lorcas grinned. “Sure.” He walked off, waving back over his shoulder. 

Remiel sighed and pushed his hands back through his hair. He would like to think the Captain of the Hunt would look out for Alex, since he’d rescued him before, but the little boy had a way of pulling danger to him. If something could go wrong, it probably would. 

He walked over to the table with the girl Gabriel had been studying with. “Excuse me, do you mind if I collect Ahnnak Gabriel’s things for him?”

“Oh, he’s coming back,” she said, giving Remiel an uncertain smile. “He just, um, stepped out to get a drink.”

“I’m afraid not. He was called out with a family issue. He probably won’t return this afternoon.”

“Oh, I see,” she said sadly. “Well, tell him I included some… some notes for him to read over.” She tucked a piece of parchment into the book and held it out to Remiel. “And tell him I’ll stop by his room later if… if he has any questions.”

Remiel smiled warmly at her. “Of course. Thank you.” He took the book and returned to Gabriel’s room. When he got there, Remiel knocked once and opened the door, figuring the boys were just talking about the upcoming trip.

The conversation cut off abruptly when he entered. Both boys stared at him from where they sat side by side on the bed. 

Remiel smiled nervously and held up the book. “I brought this back for you.” 

“Put it on the desk,” Gabriel said dryly. He turned back to Alex, his voice gentler. “It’ll be okay.”

“I don’t want to go,” Alex whispered.

Gabriel slid his fingers through Alex’s long, black hair. “Just do as I tell you, Alex. Don’t argue with me.”

Alex’s bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “Yes, Brother.”

Remiel place the book on the desk, feeling awkward being there. “That girl said she gave you some notes to read, and she’d be by later if you had any questions.”

Gabriel glared at him. “Thanks, but next time, mind your own business.” He smoothed Alex’s hair down and stood up. “You both should go.”

Alex gazed up at him. “Can I stay? I want to have dinner with you tonight. Please?”

“I don’t want to keep arguing with you, Alex.”

“I’ll be good. I won’t argue anymore.” 

Gabriel sighed and nodded. “Fine, but only for dinner. I already have other plans this evening.” He turned toward Remiel. “I’ll drop him off at his room after dinner. You can leave now.”

The dismissal was curt, but what Remiel expected from Gabriel at this point. Even though they were both Ahnnak, Gabriel always treated him like he was a servant. Then again, he treated nearly everyone that way. 

“I’ll come by and check on you before curfew,” Remiel told Alex. “I expect you to be working on your history assignment.” 

Alex’s brow furrowed. “It’s done.” Remiel just stared at him with a brow raised. Alex sighed. “Alright. Yes, Remi, I’ll fix it.”

“Thank you. Be good, Alex. See you later.” He smiled at Alex and left, closing Gabriel’s door behind him.

Alex would be fine with Gabriel. There was nothing to worry about. He was as safe with his brother as he was anywhere. 

With the Harvest approaching, Remiel kept repeating that to himself, hoping it would come true.


	87. Gabriel: 1st Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Harvest break begins...

Gabriel and Alex coasted into the valley of the estate of the Isten Jequn just before dinner on the first degree of Harvest. They flew past the elaborate stables, with its tall, silver spire, able to hear the cacophony of beasts within. Gabriel landed lightly before the sprawling, double-level manor, peering through the delicate fabric hung in the archways around the foyer. The fabric swayed and twisted in the warm jungle breeze, but Gabriel could see no one on the other side. 

Maybe they were lucky. Maybe Jequn wasn’t home yet.

Alex landed beside him, stumbling a few steps. Flying that long had been hard on the young boy. His whole body was shaking from exhaustion, and he barely made a sound as Gabriel caught him and supported his weight. 

The trip had taken nearly twice as long as it was supposed to, due to the extra breaks Alex needed. They probably should have left last night, stopped at an inn, and continued the rest the flight this morning, but Gabriel hadn’t wanted to leave sooner than necessary. 

He wasn’t any happier about coming home than Alex was. 

“You okay?” Gabriel asked his little brother.

Alex nodded, leaning against him. He clung to Gabriel’s arm, his grey fingernails digging into his skin. “I’m fine.” 

That was definitely a lie. His whole body was shaking, and it wasn’t just because he was exhausted. 

“Don’t look so scared,” said Gabriel. 

Looking up, Alex whispered, “But I am scared.”

“I told you, I’ll protect you. Just remember the rules, and do everything I say. I’ll keep you safe. We’re only here for a week.” 

“Yes, Brother,” Alex replied, his voice tiny.

This whole trip was merely for appearances. They would keep up the image of loyal and dutiful Ahnnak sons, and as long as they did, Jequn’s twisted honor would give him no reason to break the arrangement he made with Gabriel. As long as Gabriel was perfect, Alex was safe.

“Come on, let’s go in.” Gabriel took Alex’s hand and walked with him to the porch. They both stepped up, and Gabriel kicked off his shoes. He could hear the shifting shadows within the manor as servants vanished from the foyer before they could be seen. It was strange how everything could feel so different, yet remain exactly the same. It was time didn’t progress in the valley.

Alex tried to pull off his thin-soled boots, but his hands were shaking too much. Gabriel knelt down and helped him. 

“It’s going to be okay, Alex. Trust me. Nothing is going to happen.”

“I do trust you, Brother,” the little boy whispered. “But-”

“No. I promised I’ll protect you and I will.” Gabriel placed Alex’s little boots beside his, then looked up at the boy’s wide black eyes. “You’re not going to leave my side at all this week.”

“I’m not allowed in your room,” Alex pointed out. “It’s against his rules.”

“If anyone tries to stop us, we can go sleep in the stables with the beasts,” Gabriel said light-heartedly. “We’ll spend the whole week rolling in hay and smelling like mud and fur. We’ll both wake up every morning with so much straw in our feathers, we’ll look like urchins. You’ll have to help me preen, or I’ll flap my wings and skewer the rafters with my quills.”

The corners of Alex’s mouth twitched up slightly at the image. “Promise?” he asked.

“I promise.” Gabriel stood and took Alex’s hand again. Alex’s grey-nailed fingers held tightly to him, but he still trembled. Gabriel wasn’t sure what other assurance he could give the boy, so he just squeezed his hand back, and said, “Let’s go in.”

They entered the foyer together, pushing through the light fabric. Everything was just as it always had been. They walked across the smooth stone to the dining hall with its long wooden table. 

Gabriel stopped in the open archway between the rooms and called, “Mother, Father, we’re home!” He listened carefully. There was no noise, save for the panicked beating of Alex’s heart behind him. “I think it’s just us. They’ll probably be back for dinner.” Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s grab something to eat, then go get cleaned up.”

He took Alex to the kitchen, where they found a large bowl filled with prepared fruit. It was still wobbling, like it had been placed there in a hurry. Gabriel popped a couple berries into his mouth, then turned to Alex. 

“Ah,” said the silver-haired boy.

Alex opened his mouth obediently and Gabriel fed him a big chunk of melon. While he chewed, Alex covered his mouth, but he eyed the bowl like he wanted more. 

“We’ll take it with us,” Gabriel decided. He picked it up and walked back out through the swinging kitchen door. The bowl of fruit had probably been left for them by the servants, after all.

When Gabriel walked toward the stairs instead of the table, Alex asked, “Where are we going?”

“My room,” Gabriel answered. “We both need a bath.”

Alex’s wings gave a little tremble before he pulled them in tight against his back. “Bath?”

“We’re both filthy. The winds that blow over the jungle come from the west and carry dirt from the desert there. Flying through that, with as humid as it always is here, it just sticks to everything.” Gabriel licked his thumb and slid it across Alex’s cheek, picking up some of the dirt from his skin. He showed it to him. “See?”

Alex stared at Gabriel’s thumb, black eyes wide. Gabriel realized what he had just done, and rubbed his hand on his pants. “Sorry,” the silver-haired boy said, embarrassed. “My point is, either of us arrive at dinner looking like this, and we’ll both be beaten.”

“Yes, Brother,” Alex replied softly. Gabriel gave him a slice of pear to chew on, then they climbed up the stairs. 

At the top, they turned right, toward the end of the hall that held the brothers’ chambers. Alex glanced nervously at Jequn’s chambers behind them, but Gabriel guided him down the hall away from it. Alex started to turn toward his rooms, but Gabriel caught him. “No. You’re staying with me, remember? You don’t leave my side.” 

“But… the baths?”

“My room. I’ll help you wash your hair.” Gabriel pulled aside the curtain covering the entrance to his quarter of the manor. 

Alex shifted uncomfortably. “We’ll get in trouble.”

“We won’t. It’s fine, Alex. Go in.” 

Even though it was clear he still had reservations, Alex entered the room. Gabriel followed the black-haired boy down the hall to the bath, which was already filled with hot, perfumed water.

Gabriel sat the bowl beside the edge of the recessed pool and grabbed a couple more pieces of food to stuff in his mouth. He chewed while he pulled off his shirt, and tossed it to the corner of the bathing room. The servants would take care of it later. He started slipping his pants off, when he realized Alex was just standing there, staring at the water. 

“You can’t get clean with those dirty clothes on,” Gabriel said after swallowing. 

“I don’t have anything else to change into.”

“You’ll wear my old clothes. Stop worrying, and get in the bath.”

Alex glanced over. “W-With you?”

“It’s just like the student baths at Archridge.” Gabriel pushed his pants off his hips and kicked them aside. He stepped down into the inset pool at the center of the room. The warm water surround him, the heat soothing after the long flight.

While Gabriel quickly dipped his oiled wings in the water to rinse the dirt from his feathers, Alex remained standing at the side of the pool. Gabriel shook his wings out, then swam over to the little boy. He leaned against the edge and stared up at him. 

“If you don’t get in the water, I’m going to pull you in.”

Alex sighed, and peeled the dirty fabric from his slim body. Gabriel went over and got more fruit to eat. He stuck a few more berries in his mouth, and then Alex splashed into the water behind him.

Gabriel turned to find that Alex had gone completely underwater. When the little boy surfaced, he only emerged enough to breathe through his nose. Long tendrils of black hair curled in the water around him.

“Don’t soak your wings that long,” Gabriel told him. “We won’t have time to preen before dinner.”

Alex raised his wings from the water, standing so his shoulders were exposed. His black hair clung to his wet skin. “Do we have to go to dinner?”

“Yes,” Gabriel said. He handed him a few berries. “We’re here as the sons of the estate, and will be expected to behave as such. We’re going to have enough trouble this week without beginning fights about meal protocol. Eat as much as you can now, okay?”

Alex held the berries. “Eat in the bath?”

“Jequn could return home soon. We don’t have a lot of time.” Gabriel motioned Alex over to the bowl. Alex ate the berries, then swam over and started picking through the rest of the fruit.

While Alex ate, Gabriel bent and submerged his silver hair in the water. He let it all hang wet to one side while he poured a mixture of soap and lotion into his hands. He worked it into a lather then spread it through his silver hair until it was fully saturated. He piled the wet, soapy locks on top of his head, then poured more soap into his hand to do Alex’s hair. “Come here.” 

The boy grabbed another piece of fruit to stuff in his cheeks, then swam to Gabriel and allowed him to wash his long, black hair. He faced him, keeping his eyes closed as Gabriel worked the lotion through his hair. 

While he scrubbed at the dirt he could feel along Alex’s scalp, Gabriel asked, “What did you think of the flight in? The jungle looks different from above, doesn’t it?”

Alex finished chewing the fruit in his cheeks and swallowed. His black eyes opened. “Brother, do you think Hadasha will remember me?” 

“You probably won’t have time to see her,” Gabriel said, mostly because he wasn’t sure. Greeting a pardua after two years seemed like an unnecessary risk. She might not recognize Alex at all. She might decide to eat him.

“But we’re going to be here a week.”

“Maybe. If we can go back sooner, we will. I don’t know, Alex. Either way, you’re not allowed to leave my side.”

“We could go together.” 

“No, Alex.”

“But why?”

Rather than answer, Gabriel dunked his brother’s head under the water and rinsed all the soap from his hair. Alex burst up gasping after a couple seconds, black hair stuck to his face. At least it was clean.

“Use soap and scrub your skin,” Gabriel instructed. “Especially your face and neck.”

Alex coughed a couple times, then said, “Yes, Brother.” He didn’t argue anymore. 

By the time they were both clean, they had eaten all the fruit from the bowl. They left it there and climbed out of the bath. 

Gabriel helped Alex dry by fanning him with his wings while he picked out clothes for them both from his closet. Some of Gabriel’s older clothes fit Alex perfectly, and Gabriel found a couple new shirts for himself that allowed for how much he’d grown in the past two years.

Once dressed, Gabriel sat Alex on his bed. He quickly combed Alex’s hair and preened his wings. The boy’s feathers weren’t too disheveled. Alex was much better at taking care of himself now, and he was strong enough to fly with a light layer of oil. Even that little bit helped a lot. 

When dinner neared, the boys were as clean and presentable as they could get. Alex started fidgeting and tugging at the edges of his clothing like he could cover himself more. Gabriel took his hands and squeezed them. He bumped their foreheads together and said, “It’s going to be okay, Alex.”

Then they heard the triple beat crack of the Isten’s wings, and they knew Jequn had come home.

“Are you ready?” asked Gabriel. 

“No,” Alex answered, but he followed him out of the room to greet the Isten anyway.


	88. Alex: 1st Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

While they walked down the hall, Alex clung to Gabriel’s hand, but when they reached the top of the stairs, they both pulled away from each other without a word. There was movement in the dining hall. Jequn’s heavy footsteps reverberated the floorboards as he walked across the room to the head of the table. The snap of his wings as he flung them back signaled that he had taken his seat. 

Gabriel gave Alex one last encouraging smile, then started down the stairs. Alex followed after him morosely.

Jequn’s six white wings draped down his back and across the floor behind him. He turned, the segmented coils of his silver hair clattering as his ice blue eyes focused on the boys.

At the base of the stairs, Gabriel raised his chin and settled his wings against his back, looking calm and confident. “Welcome home, Father,” he said. His tone was anything but welcoming.

“Welcome home, my sons,” Jequn replied, and his gaze focused on Alex. “Do you not have a greeting for me as well?”

Under the scrutiny of Jequn’s gaze, Alex’s beating heart felt like it would rip him apart. He lowered his head, hiding behind his black hair. He couldn’t speak. He could barely breathe.

“Don’t talk to him,” Gabriel snapped.

“Don’t talk to my own son?” asked Jequn. 

“He’s not- You’re allowed near him while we’re here. You won’t touch him.”

Jequn’s eyes narrowed. “You think so ill of me, Gabriel? Come. Sit. I am certain you are both hungry after your journey in.”

Gabriel hesitated a moment. Alex could see the hair standing up on his brother’s arms, as he picked up on the threat in the Isten’s words, just as Alex did. Then Gabriel walked forward, taking his seat at Jequn’s right. 

Somehow, Alex was able to cross the room. He sat at Jequn’s left, a space for his mother between him and the Isten. 

Jequn said, “Your mother will not be joining us tonight. Or any night this month. She has opted to remain with the Ahnnak Hesediel. They will be hosting a frivolous Harvest festival on the estate of the Isten Ridwan.”

“Mother won’t be here?” asked Gabriel.

“No, though you are welcome to go visit her.”

Gabriel tensed, like it was a trap. “With Alexiel?”

“I doubt she will appreciate you bringing a reminder of her defective genetics to her party.”

“He’s not defective,” Gabriel snarled.

“I have allowed you to speak back to me twice now, my son. Do it again, and I will break your jaw.”

Gabriel lowered his eyes, seething with rage, but he said, “Yes, sir.”

Jequn tapped the table, and a servant brought a large platter of food out to sit before them. Alex tried to peer under the cloaked figure’s hood, wondering if it could be Indara, but he couldn’t tell. The servant backed from the room, bowed low.

Even though he and Gabriel ate that large bowl of fruit, Alex was still hungry. The array on the platter looked delicious. There were multiple small puffs of rotika, all still warm. Steaming roots and bright vegetables were cut in perfect, bite size pieces. It made Alex’s mouth water, but he sat and waited, not reaching for any of it. 

For a moment, Jequn just sat there, looking between the two boys. Then he picked a puff of rotika from the platter and said, “A lie is only consistent if it is always true, my sons. Do you understand?”

Gabriel looked up. “I do, sir, but I won’t let you harm Alexiel while we’re here.”

“Let me? You overestimate your importance, Gabriel.”

“He’s staying in my room.” 

Jequn slammed his fist down on the table, making the platter jump, sending vegetables bouncing across the wood. “Such indecency will not be allowed in my house!”

“Indecency!?” Gabriel yelled, wings going wide. “After what you’ve done-”

Jequn hit him. It was fast, and there was a crack of bone. Gabriel collapsed on the floor, curled up with his hands pressed to his face. Alex stifled a surprised gasp. He shrank down as much as he could and squeezed his wings tight against his back.

Jequn ate the rotika, then picked up one piece of each other food on the platter as he stood. “I expect your manners to improve by morning,” he said. He walked toward the stairs, his heavy footsteps taking him all the way up into his chambers.

When he was gone, Alex hurried around the table to kneel by Gabriel. “Brother?”

Gabriel rolled onto his back, keeping his hands over the lower half of his face. He looked up at Alex with pain-filled blue eyes. Slowly, he lowered his hands, revealing the bright bruises forming on his cheek and jaw. 

His jaw was obviously dislocated. Alex knew how to fix it, but he knew it would hurt. It would be easier to do without warning Gabriel. Alex reached out, gently touching Gabriel’s chin. With a quick move, he popped Gabriel’s jaw back into place, then pressed his hands over Gabriel’s mouth to stifle the scream. 

Breathing hard through his nose, Gabriel gradually quieted. A tear rolled from the corner of his eye and into his silver hair. He reached up and pulled Alex’s hands away from his mouth. It was clear it hurt to speak, but he said, “That went well, didn’t it?”

“He’s going to kill you,” Alex told him, not at all joking.

Gabriel rubbed his palm across his eyes and sat up. “I’ll be fine.” He tenderly touched his jaw. The bone was probably fractured. “Let’s finish eating.”

Alex helped Gabriel up, and they sat side by side at the dining table. Gabriel ate slow, barely able to chew, but they were able to finish all the food on the platter. 

When they were done, Gabriel said, “I think we should go to bed early tonight.”

That was the first thing Gabriel said that Alex didn’t feel like arguing about.

***

They didn’t share a bed. Gabriel lay on the floor, blocking the path into the room. He had a pillow and a blanket, but nothing else. He didn’t look comfortable.

Alex lay on the soft, suspended bed, resting on his stomach, watching his brother in the dark. He was exhausted, but he couldn’t fall asleep. The muscles in his back were so sore, he could barely lift his wings. They lay like a heavy blanket from his shoulders to his hips, weighing him down.

The sound of the jungle at night floated in through the windows, familiar, but quieter than Alex remembered. He’d grown accustomed to the constant noise of the other students at the academy. He missed them.

“Brother?”

“Go to sleep, Alex.” 

“What are we going to do tomorrow?” 

“I don’t know. I guess it depends on if Jequn stays home. If he does, we stay out of sight. If not…”

“Can we go see Hadasha?” 

“No.” 

“Why?”

“Alex, don’t argue with me.”

“I’m not arguing with you, I just want to know why-”

Gabriel got up abruptly, startling the younger boy. Alex squeezed his sore wings tight against his back as his brother stalked over to him. “I said no. That’s why.”

Alex peered up at him in the dark, watching the way the moonlight reflected off Gabriel’s silver hair and cold blue eyes. “I want to see her,” Alex whispered, his heart pounding in his chest.

With an annoyed sigh, Gabriel pushed his hands back through his hair, gathering it all at the back of his head. He held it there as he stared down at Alex. “She might not remember you. It’s been two years since you saw her.”

“She’s my friend. She won’t forget.” 

“We’re not allowed in the jungle.”

“I’ve never been allowed in the jungle,” Alex reminded him. “I still want to go.”

“Damn it, Alex, why do you have to be so difficult?” 

“I’m sorry, Brother.” Alex was shaking. He couldn’t help it. 

Gabriel released his hair, letting it fall back around his shoulders. “Move over. If neither of us are going to sleep, we might as well both be comfortable.” 

Alex gave Gabriel room to climb up into the bed. His brother stretched out, laying on his back, raising one wing out of the way. He held open an arm, inviting Alex to lay at his side. “If we can get through a couple days without getting in trouble, I’ll take you into the jungle.”

“Thank you, Brother.” Alex curled up at his side, holding Gabriel’s shirt in his fist. Gabriel was warm and comforting, even in this place. Alex worried what Jequn would do if he found them laying like that. He didn’t think the man would be happy. Still, Alex didn’t release Gabriel’s shirt or move away from him. 

“Does your face still hurt, Brother?” Alex asked softly.

“Yes, Alex, it does.”

“Why were you trying to make him angry?”

Gabriel sighed heavily, then said, “He needed to understand the rules of us being here.”

“You knew he was going to hit you.”

“I knew.” 

Alex pressed his face against Gabriel’s side. “I don’t want him to hurt you again.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m you big brother. It’s my job to take care of you.” Gabriel idly stroked Alex’s black hair, letting the smooth locks slide through his fingers. “Go to sleep, Alex.” 

“Yes, Brother.” Alex closed his eyes. Listening to Gabriel’s steady breathing, he was finally able to fall asleep.


	89. Gabriel: 2nd Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

“I’m not hungry,” Alex grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head again.

Gabriel sighed, hands on his hips, staring down at the stubborn little boy. “Alex-”

“I want to sleep.”

For a moment, Gabriel contemplated flipping him out of bed, and then decided that maybe this was for the best. The more Alex slept, the less trouble he could get in. If he was hungry later, the servants would prepare something for him.

“Fine, but you stay in this room until I come back,” Gabriel commanded. 

Alex wrapped himself tighter in the blanket and mumbled, “Not going anywhere.”

Shaking his head, Gabriel walked downstairs to have breakfast. Jequn already sat at the table, reading a red tablet and finishing food from a platter. 

“Good morning, Father,” Gabriel said. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and bowed.

“Where is Alexiel?” Jequn didn’t even look at him. 

“Safe,” Gabriel said. He stood up straight and approached the table. “As he should be.”

“You really are a dumb boy, aren’t you?” Jequn tilted his head and watched Gabriel take his seat. Most of Jequn’s hair was tied back, except two long coils by his face, which clicked together when he moved. “You think I don’t know what’s actually going on? I know everything.”

Gabriel snapped his wings back while he sat so he wouldn’t catch his longest feathers. It was a motion he used to pretend to need to do, but now it was actually necessary. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Someone hit me in the head yesterday and rattled my brain. You’re going to have to be more specific.”

Jequn’s lip twitched back in a sneer. “You want me to hit you again?”

“No, sir, but if you’re going to do it anyway, let me know so I can at least say something to deserve it.” Gabriel looked at his father, at the way his features twisted with loathing at the mere sight of him. At least the feeling was mutual.

“The reports I have received from your instructors say nothing of your insolent tongue. How have you managed to fool them?” Jequn placed the tablet on the table. “Or is it only fear for Alexiel’s safety that keeps you in line?”

Gabriel’s wings went rigid. “Our deal-”

“Perfection, Gabriel. Alexiel remains with you because you are performing as I expect of my heir, but one day, you will grow tired of this game. You will see the error in nobility, and you will return him to me, where he belongs.”

“He doesn’t belong anywhere near you,” Gabriel growled.

“He belongs _only_ with me. There is no place for him out there in this world. You’ve seen it. You know. You can’t keep him safe. Alexiel belongs to me.” Jequn tapped the table twice, then stood. A ripple ran though his cloak of wings as they readjusted against his back. “I have business in Lemuria today. Enjoy your breakfast.” Without another word, the Isten strode from the manor, leaving with a loud, triple-beat crack of wings. 

Gabriel hated him. He clenched his jaw, and then immediately winced, as the pressure sent pain radiating through his fractured bone. As he rubbed his sore face, he noticed that Jequn had left the red tablet on the table. A servant would probably take it and return it to his room, but…

The kitchen door swung open, and Gabriel snatched the tablet from the table. He tucked it between his leg and the bench, and tried not to look guilty as a servant walked out carrying a bowl.

The servant approached, head bowed. They placed the bowl before Gabriel, then started to back away. Gabriel reached out and grabbed their wrist. “What is this?” he demanded.

A man’s voice came from beneath the hood as the servant bowed lower. “Farina, my Lord Gabriel.”

“What?”

“Creamed wheat. Please forgive this one if it displeases you. Our Lord Master requested it.”

Gabriel released him. “You can go.” The servant backed from the room quickly while Gabriel glared down at the farina. 

After the kitchen door swung shut, Gabriel picked the bowl up and brought it to his lips. He tilted some of the hot, smooth mixture into his mouth, and found that he didn’t have to chew it at all. Considering how much his fractured jaw still hurt, that was a relief. 

Gabriel finished the rest of it quickly, letting the heat of the farina fill his belly and spread through his body. It was delicious and filling, but Gabriel hated that Jequn requested it for him. It was an empty gesture of kindness that mocked Gabriel’s pain. 

When the bowl was empty, Gabriel placed it back on the table and licked his lips clean. As he got up, he shook out his wings and settled them against his back. He picked up the red tablet and slipped it nonchalantly under his tunic, then walked casually for the stairs. He didn’t think a servant would try to stop him, even if they saw him, but he didn’t want to risk it.

With Jequn gone for the day, maybe Alex would be ready to wake up. If not, Gabriel could lounge in the pit and see what he could discover from the red tablet. He knew how much power it took to transmit information across the void, from one planet to another, and he was curious to discover what would be considered so important to justify the expense.

When he entered his room, Gabriel found Alex still asleep. The boy grunted, annoyed, when Gabriel gave him a little shake. Alex jerked the blankets over his face again. 

“Still sleeping, huh?” Gabriel mused. “It’s a wonder Remi ever gets you to class on time.” He walked into his lounge and flopped into the pit of pillows. He slipped the tablet out from under his shirt, and began to read.

***

Alex didn’t wake up until after lunch. He stumbled into the study, rubbing his eyes. “Why’d you let me sleep so long?” he asked. 

Gabriel looked up from the red tablet, then squinted at the light outside. “I tried waking you earlier, but then I lost track of time. Are you hungry?”

Nodding, Alex lowered his hands from his eyes. “Yes, Brother, I-” Alex startled, popping up into the air like he nearly stepped on a snake. He landed halfway across the room, hand pressed to his chest, wings puffed. His black eyes were wide, focused on the red tablet. “What are you doing with that?” he asked breathlessly.

Gabriel held up the tablet, amused to see Alex so animated. “This? Just reading.”

“You can’t read that,” Alex insisted.

“I’ve been reading it most the morning. Interesting stuff. Did you know there are over twelve billion people on Ahn? The logistics for how they live is fascinating. One of their biggest concerns for when the population arrives on Ter is finding enough water to support them, because there’s not an efficient way to convert salt wat-”

“Gabriel! You can’t read that! It’s his!” Alex yelled.

Okay, it was less amusing now. Gabriel placed the tablet under a pillow in the pit and got up. Alex retreated a couple steps as he approached. “He’s not here right now. Unless you plan on telling him I have it, he won’t find out.”

Alex gulped and looked up at him, his wings giving a nervous flutter. “I won’t say anything, but… he’ll know it’s missing.” 

“I’ll sneak it into his room before he comes home. Don’t worry so much.” He reached out to ruffle Alex’s black hair, but his brother flinched before he touched him. Gabriel did it anyway, then pulled Alex into a headlock. “Come on, let’s go find some lunch.” He walked from the room with Alex under his arm, even as the little boy squirmed and wiggled, trying to get away. 

When they reached the stairs, Gabriel released him, and smiled at the sullen pout Alex gave him while he smoothed his black hair down. “He’ll find out,” Alex stated.

“Maybe.”

“The servants will tell him.”

“Well, then he’s going to find out anyway, and there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s interesting.” Gabriel started down the stairs and reached the bottom just in time to see the kitchen door swing shut. There was a platter of boiled vegetables, still steaming, and two bowls of farina. 

Gabriel sat where his mother would have, and patted the spot next to him. Alex joined him, and pulled one of the bowls closer to peer inside. He made a face and pushed it toward Gabriel. “It’s for you.”

“I don’t need both bowls.” 

“I ate nothing but farina for a month once. I don’t like it.” 

Gabriel was about to ask ‘why’, but he stopped himself. Did he really want to know? Probably not, but how often did Alex open up about what had happened to him? At the academy, there was always a chance of being overheard, so they couldn’t talk freely, but here…

“Why did you only eat farina for a month?”

Alex tucked his hair behind his ears, but kept his eyes lowered. “I had to learn how to swallow without struggling or biting, and every time I made a mistake, he dislocated my jaw.” 

“Sw-” Gabriel stopped himself as he realized exactly what Alex was referring to. It made him furious. He hated how much innocence Jequn had stolen from the little boy. Gabriel would never let Jequn touch Alex again.

Alex glanced at him uncertainly. “Are you angry?”

“Not at you,” Gabriel said. “You haven’t done anything wrong. It’s him. If I could kill him-”

“Don’t say that out loud.” Alex touched Gabriel’s arm. “He’ll find out.”

Gabriel shrugged away from Alex. “Yeah, well, it’s not like anyone knows how to kill an Isten, anyway. They’re immortal.”

Alex was quiet for a few moments. He picked up one of the cubed roots and examined it. “There are forty-eight remaining.” 

For a second, Gabriel thought Alex had counted the pieces of food on the platter. Then the number made sense. Forty-eight. That was the number of Isten alive on Ter, out of the original sixty to leave Ahn. 

“Alex-”

“I know. It just means that it’s not impossible.” He ate the cubed root, chewing it carefully. 

The conversation needed to change or they really were going to get in trouble. It was one thing for Gabriel to consider something so horrible, but it bothered him that Alex had spent any time thinking of it. Alex was supposed to be living like a normal boy now. He was supposed to be happy.

“Do you want to go down to the stables today?” Gabriel asked. He picked up one of the bowls of farina and started drinking it. It was just as delicious as the bowl this morning, but he hated it even more. Still, he wouldn’t waste food, especially not when he needed the nutrients and energy to heal. 

Alex ate a few roots from the platter. “Don’t you want to read more?”

“Nah. There’s nothing that interesting on there anyway. We could go see the stag.”

“Do you think he’s still there?” Alex asked, perking up.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Gabriel grinned at him, and was pleased to see Alex return the expression.

***

When they finished eating, Gabriel snuck the red tablet back into Jequn’s room, then they flew down to the stables. There were servants scattered about, caring for the beasts within, but they paid little attention to Gabriel and Alex as they entered. Alex ran up to the first pen, and leaned over the short fence to be able to reach the baby boars within. They grunted and swarmed his outstretched fingers, looking for food. 

“Where’s their mother?” asked Alex.

“She’s probably around here somewhere,” said Gabriel. He pulled Alex back out of the pen. “Don’t get too close to them.”

“They’re just babies, Brother. They’re not going to hurt me.”

“You don’t know that. Come on. Let’s find the stag.”

They wandered through the aisles, stopping every once in a while to examine a strange beast within a pen. Alex was eager to touch them all, and Gabriel had to keep a close watch on him to prevent him from sticking his little fingers between the slats. They gradually found their way to the stall they’d last seen the stag in. It had been two years. The chances of the beast still being there seemed unlikely, but when they approached, Gabriel heard the scrape of antlers against the high wooden sides. Gabriel and Alex both flew up to look over the top. 

The stag was there, just as magnificent as Gabriel remembered. His great antlers clattered against the worn wood of his stall as he chewed hay from a hanging basket. His brown eyes focused on Gabriel and Alex as they peering down at the large beast, but he didn’t seem bothered by their presence. He grunted and snorted, but he continued eating. 

“I think he’s grown bigger,” Gabriel said, pulling himself up more to hook his arms over the top edge of the stall. The sides weren’t much higher than the stag, though they nearly reached the rafters. The beast didn’t have the bulk of an auroch, but his antlers definitely made him taller. 

“What’s wrong with his leg?” Alex asked.

Gabriel looked where Alex pointed. He saw that the stag favored his rear leg, not putting any of his weight on it. There were bald patches all over the fur on his rump, patterned with red dots in various stages of healing.

“I think he’s sick,” Gabriel said, brow furrowing.

“He’s not sick,” a deep voice resonated from behind them. Startled, both boys dropped from the edge of the pen and turned, standing close to each other. 

Marlo, the stable master for the Isten Jequn’s estate, stood before them, arms folded across his bare, muscular chest. He frowned at the boys, his dark brown eyes disapproving. He hadn’t changed much, though there was a scar across his cheek Gabriel didn’t remember before.

“I did not expect to see you boys against so soon,” Marlo said.

“Coming back wasn’t exactly a choice,” Gabriel replied. “We’re only staying a few days.”

“Plenty of time to get in trouble.” 

“We’re not going to get into trouble,” Gabriel insisted.

Pointing at Gabriel’s bruised cheek, Marlo said, “It looks like you’ve already been in trouble. What are you doing here?”

“We just came to look,” Gabriel said, scowling.

“The last time my Lord Gabriel and my Lord Alexiel came to look, I received a personal visit from our Lord Master. It is not something I would like to experience again.” He touched the scar on his cheek with his thumb while he examined Alex. “Though I am pleased to see how much you’ve grown. The sun at Archridge agrees with you.”

“It’s the same sun,” Alex said softly, peering out from behind Gabriel. 

Marlo smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “So it is.” He lowered his hand, crossing his arms again.

“Why is the stag hurt?” Alex asked, clearly concerned about the beast.

“Bone marrow extractions can be very painful,” Marlo replied, walking toward the stall. Gabriel and Alex moved out of his way. “Our Lord Master requires a sample about once a month. The stag is still sore. He will be fine in a few days.”

As the Homm walked by, Gabriel caught sight of the layers of old scars on his back. There were more than Gabriel remembered, and he wondered how many of them the Homm received after helping Gabriel and Alex two years ago. He didn’t dwell on it. Whatever the cost, it had been worth it.

“Why does my father need bone marrow?” Gabriel asked. 

Marlo checked the high latch on the stall to make sure it was secure. “If our Lord Master wanted you to know, he would tell you. It is not my place to say.” He turned toward them. “I think it is time for my Lords to leave now. Go back to the manor before you cause me any more grief.”

Gabriel didn’t like being dismissed by the Homm now any more than he did when he was young. It made his feathers bristle. He would have protested, except he looked at Alex, and saw that the little boy was on the verge of tears.

“We were just leaving anyway,” Gabriel said. He took Alex’s arm, and led him away from the stall. Marlo followed at a distance, watching to ensure they actually left the stables. 

Yeah, that man still irritated Gabriel. 

When they were outside in the grass, away from where anyone could easily hear them, Gabriel let go of Alex’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

Alex sniffled and rubbed his face. “He’s hurting him,” he cried. 

“Marlo is tough-”

“No, the stag,” Alex whimpered, looking up at Gabriel with tear-filled black eyes. “Jequn is hurting him.” 

Gabriel pulled the emotional little boy against his chest. “Alex… It’s probably part of his research.”

“I don’t care,” Alex muttered, pressing his face against Gabriel’s tunic. “The stag doesn’t belong here. I don’t want him to be hurt anymore.”

Gabriel sighed and stroked Alex’s hair. “I know its not fair, but-”

Alex shoved back from Gabriel, his black eyes shifting in the light. “No,” he said firmly. “He needs to be free.”

Gabriel felt like Alex was upset about more than just the beast. “I’ll talk to Jequn after dinner,” Gabriel said, trying to appease the little boy. “Maybe I can figure something out. For now, we should take another bath. You smell like all the beasts you kept trying to touch.”

With a pout, Alex said, “I don’t want a bath.”

“Too bad. Come one, let’s go back inside.” Gabriel took the little boy with him back up to his chambers, and helped get him cleaned up for dinner.

***

They sat at the table with Jequn again, though this time Gabriel stayed polite and formal. Alex sat silently and didn’t look up from the patterns in the grain of the wood. The meal proceeded without issue, though it still progressed obnoxiously slow. 

“What are you currently working on, Father?” Gabriel asked when a moment came for him to make polite conversation.

“The same as always, Gabriel. Why the sudden interest?”

“I am your heir. Isn’t that reason enough?” 

Jequn raised an eyebrow and looked at him, placing another piece of fruit into his mouth. The Isten chewed, and said nothing. 

Gabriel sighed and curled back his lip, dropping the polite act. “Alright, fine. It’s about one of my classes. We have to write a report about our activities during the break, and I feel like three pages of explaining how I defended my little brother from the advances of my father for a week might raise a little suspicion.”

Jequn stopped chewing and stared at Gabriel, unamused. Alex shrank down like he thought he could vanish from the room if he was small enough. “One of these days, that tongue of yours will get you into more trouble that you can walk away from,” Jequn said, a chill warning in his voice.

“Sorry, sir.” Gabriel lowered his eyes, and waited until Jequn resumed eating to look up. 

After a few more bites, Jequn asked, “What do you want to know?” 

“Why are you collecting bone marrow from the stag?”

“Ah, so you went to the stables today.” Jequn clicked his tongue, and Alex flinched. “I should have known.”

“If you’re keeping him to hurt him-”

“The stag is research for a project, Gabriel, nothing more. I understand your desire to be suspicious of me, but my time is not so idly wasted among beasts. The work I do is essential to the ascension of Ahn to Ter, and that stag is the key to it all.”

“It’s just a beast,” Gabriel said.

“Do you remember what I told your of the first ascent?”

Gabriel nodded. They had learned about it at the academy, too. “You arrived with the colonists, but they couldn’t leave the ships until after the reserve was constructed.”

“Decades on a planet whose only purpose seemed to be to kill the people we were required to protect. Cerebral hemorrhaging, brittle bones, sepsis, hypercapnia- They couldn’t even breathe the air without going into shock. We kept them contained for their own wellbeing.”

“But they were able to live within the reserve without getting sick.”

“They were unable to adapt,” Jequn snapped, like he blamed them, even centuries after the last colonist had died. “We wasted the last of the our fuel to maintain their life support. Before the next ascent, we must send a cure to Ahn, to allow them to adapt before they arrive.”

“And the stag is important?”

“It has been prophesied to be part of the cure,” stated the Isten, sounding almost proud about that. “I will discover how to covert the genetics of the stag’s regenerative abilities into a functional serum to bind the people of Ahn to Ter without requiring local offspring. Once that is successful, they will come.” 

Gabriel nodded along like he understood, even though he didn’t. One thing was for certain, Jequn wouldn’t be releasing the stag any time soon. 

Alex sat, staring down at the table. He hadn’t eaten anything. He barely moved all through dinner. He was probably even more confused than Gabriel about what Jequn was talking about. 

Then again, Alex was likely still upset about the stag. The little boy really did not want the beast to be hurt again, and though Gabriel agreed with him, if the stag was that important, there was no way Jequn was letting it go.

Jequn took one last piece of food, then stood, settling his wings against his back. “Though you are curious, my sons, I will request that you do not go to the stables again while you are here. Understood?”

It wasn’t a request at all. It was a command. “Yes, sir,” Gabriel said. Alex nodded his head, ever so slightly.

The Isten walked from the room, leaving half the platter still covered in food. Gabriel exhaled in relief. With the Isten gone, he felt like he could breath freely again. 

“You might as well eat now,” Gabriel told Alex. “No point going hungry.” 

Alex waited, listening until Jequn’s footsteps faded into his chambers. Then he started picking at the fruits and vegetables on the platter, barely taking the time to chew each piece before swallowing it.

Gabriel tried a few more pieces, too, but he was grateful he’d been served a bowl of farina again. It still hurt to chew. He felt like a tooth was coming loose on that side, and his tongue kept pushing at the tender bone. 

He sighed. Maybe tomorrow would be better.


	90. Alex: 2nd Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

This time, Gabriel stayed on the floor. He blocked the entrance to the room, like he was waiting for an attack. If Jequn really wanted to come in, a boy laying on the floor wouldn’t stop him, but Alex didn’t say anything. He lay silent on the bed, watching Gabriel in the dark. He was formulating a plan, and for that plan to work, his brother needed to be asleep.

Even though his eyes were closed, Gabriel remained awake for a while. His brow kept furrowing, like he was thinking of something that upset him. Alex waited until he was certain Gabriel was asleep, when his breathing slowed and his face relaxed, then Alex cautiously moved from the bed. 

He had to be careful. Gabriel was a light sleeper, even when he wasn’t on guard. Any noise now would certainly wake his brother. Each step lex took across the room to Gabriel’s window was painstakingly slow. He didn’t use his wings to lighten his steps, because he was afraid the rustling of his feathers would be enough to wake the other boy. Instead, he stepped near the joints of the floorboards, where they wouldn’t creak, even if they were loose.

Alex climbed out the window and dropped, spreading his wings just before he reached the ground. He glided over the tops of the tall grasses, the moon casting his shadow over the long stalks.

When he reached the stables, he crouched, hiding in a dark crevice between the pens. He listened. Most of the beasts were sleeping, though a few were rummaging about. None of them belonged here. Especially not the stag.

He’d heard what Jequn said, about the stag being the key to helping people come here from Ahn, but Alex didn’t care. Jequn was wrong. The stag was just a beast, and it deserved to be free, not locked up and tortured. Jequn was just going to keep hurting it until he killed it, and Alex couldn’t allow that. He had to save the stag.

Alex pulled his wings in tight against his back, then flipped his long, black hair over them, hoping to mute some of his bright white feathers. He moved cautiously through the stables, alert for any noise. 

Once, Alex ducked into the shadows, thinking he heard someone coming, but it was just a beast searching its pen for more food. He waited until his heartbeat had calmed, then he continued on. He reached the stag’s stall without incident. He knew there would probably be a servant or two on patrol around the stables, so he had to work quick. 

The latch was well out of reach, so he flew up and unhooked the metal, wincing at the sharp scrape. The last time he opened the stall, there hadn’t been a latch like that. It had just been a wooden slat across the middle of the door, easy to slide. But then, that was probably why they added the higher latch.

The stag snorted as Alex opened the stall door, his body stiff as if prepared for an attack. The beast’s eyes were wide, but when he saw Alex, he lowered his head and sniffed him. 

Alex stroked the stag’s nose. “It’s just me. I’m here to free you,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. It didn’t matter if the stag understood the words. Alex projected himself as helpful, a friend, and the stag understood his intentions. He nuzzled at Alex’s palm, and was ready to go.

It was difficult, but Alex helped the stag step out of the stall without scraping his enormous antlers against the wood. Everything was too small for the beast. Even once they were out, standing in the middle of the aisle, his antlers nearly scraped both sides. 

“This way,” Alex said, guiding him through the stables. The stag’s hooves were months overgrown, curling up at the edges, making each step clatter louder than necessary in the quiet of night. The stag had been stuck in that stall far too long. He needed to be able to run free. He didn’t belong here.

“When you get outside, run for the jungle. Don’t stop. They’ll try to find you, so you have to keep going.” They turned the last corner, able to see the exit. Alex stroked the stag’s side. They were almost there.

There was a noise behind them, clear footsteps pacing closer. Someone was coming. “Go!” Alex insisted, and the stag sensed his urgency. The beast ran, covering the last few cubits of space in a heartbeat, and then he was free, running through the moonlight. 

The stag threw back his head, tossing his great antlers from side to side as he ran, able to move freely for the first time in years. The sight made Alex smile, but he couldn’t watch for long. The person coming started to run, drawn by the rapid clatter of the stag’s hooves.

Alex dove over one of the low pens and crouched against the front so he couldn’t be seen. He held his breath as he listened to the person run by, racing outside in time to see the stag disappear into the jungle. The alarm would be raised soon. The servants would try to capture him again, but as long as the stag didn’t stop, they wouldn’t be able to track him.

One of the beasts in the pen with Alex woke, giving a small bleat of surprise to see him. It was a saiga, one of the twin babies. It’s mother woke at the sound, climbing to her feet at the sight of Alex.

“Shh, I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered, holding his hands up. _Calm. Friend._ The beast eased. She didn’t make a sound, but her babies both got up and cautiously approached Alex, sniffing his fingers and hair. 

The path outside was clear. Alex knew he should leave now, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t abandon these poor beasts to whatever Jequn planned to do with them. They deserved a chance at freedom, too.

“Go,” Alex said as he stood and flung open the gate. The mother was hesitant, but when she stepped out, her twin babies followed. “Out there.” Alex pointed outside, but he didn’t wait to see if she would listen.

None of the beasts deserved to be locked up, not with Jequn. As fast as he could, Alex started opening all the pens and stalls. The baby boars scattered, squealing gleefully as they raced into the tall grasses. The tzimin trotted out on quick hooves, eagerly exploring the night. 

By the time the alarm went up, Alex had released half the beasts in that first aisle. Some were cautious about leaving their pens, but when the clanging alarm sounded, they spooked and scattered. 

It was chaos. It was loud. The servants would be there soon to catch him, but he didn’t stop. 

Not until a hand closed around his wrist, yanking him around. Ice-blue eyes stared down at him, filling him with fear. 

“What have you done?” Gabriel hissed, and Alex realized he was in a lot of trouble.

***

Gabriel threw Alex over his shoulder and hauled him out of the stables before the servants arrived. He jumped up, using his wings to propel him to the roof of the stables. He hid behind the pillar that supported the tall silver spire. Alex hung limp, practically paralyzed with fear. Gabriel was so angry. The energy radiating off him was suffocating. 

Crouching low on the roof, Gabriel shoved Alex back against the pillar. “What were you thinking?” he demanded.

“The stag needed to be free,” Alex replied, trembling. Gabriel had his hand against Alex’s chest, pinning him in place. 

“You released the stag!?” Gabriel hissed, straining to keep from yelling. 

Alex swallowed hard. “Yes, Brother.”

Gabriel hit him. He backhanded Alex across the face. The sharp sting was startling, but hurt less than Gabriel being so upset with him. Tears immediately came to Alex’s eyes, and his lip started to quiver.

“How can you be so stupid?!” Gabriel asked, furious.

“I’m sorry, Brother,” Alex sobbed. Tears dripped down his cheeks. “I didn’t want him to hurt the stag anymore.”

“And what do you think he’s going to do to you when he finds out what you’ve done?” Gabriel shook him, slamming him against the pillar again. “Did you even think that far ahead?”

“I don’t care,” Alex whimpered.

“Well I do! I’m supposed to protect you!” As he said that, Gabriel froze. He looked at his hand clenching Alex’s shirt and the pink hand print forming on Alex’s cheek. He released him, and sat back heavily, wings fluttering behind him. “Shit. I’m sorry, Alex.”

Alex was shaking, but he didn’t want Gabriel to be angry with him. He crawled over, pressing his forehead against Gabriel’s thigh. “I’m sorry, Brother. I had to save him. He didn’t belong here.”

“I know,” Gabriel whispered. His anger was gone. A resigned sadness surrounded him now. He stroked Alex’s black hair. “Let’s go back to my room. I’ll fix this.”

“How?” Alex looked up, uneasy.

Gabriel just smiled at him, then got up and led the way back to the manor.


	91. Gabriel: 3rd Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

“Father?” 

It was early morning, the barest hint of the sunrise on the horizon. The Isten had been out most the night, commanding servants as they searched for the lost beasts. Gabriel had waited until he heard the man return to his chambers, his footsteps heavy and angry. 

“What?” Jequn snapped, opening the veil across the entrance to his rooms. 

“I need to talk with you,” Gabriel said. 

Jequn’s lip twitched with disdain. “You better have a good reason for bothering me tonight.”

“It’s about the stag.”

Unfiltered rage crossed the Isten’s face, making Gabriel’s blood run cold, but he held his ground. Barely containing his anger, Jequn said, “Come in.” He stepped aside, and Gabriel entered his father’s chambers. 

They went to Jequn’s office, and Gabriel stopped in the middle of the room. He stood tall, trying to keep his chin raised, even as his wings shivered with apprehension. He wasn’t looking forward to what he was about to do.

“The stag,” Jequn said as he approached. “You released the stag?”

“Yes, sir.” Gabriel stood there while the Isten paced around him.

“You’re lying.” 

Gabriel’s wings gave a nervous twitch, and he sighed. “Yes, sir.”

“You know who did it.” The Isten’s blue eyes widened with shock. “Alexiel.” The shock quickly reverted to anger as he circled behind him. “I’m going to beat him until he can’t walk for days. I’ll-”

“I won’t let you hurt him,” Gabriel stated.

Jequn snarled, coming to a stop before Gabriel. “This has nothing to do with our arrangement. This is about a child who has endangered half a decades worth of research, potentially risking the lives of millions. He must be punished.”

Gabriel swallowed hard. “I know. I’ve come to take his place.”

“What?” Jequn took a guarded step back.

“You asked me if I would trade with him once.” Gabriel’s trembling fingers untied the knot of fabric across his belly. “I’m here to do it now. Whatever punishment you would give him, I’ll take.”

There was a cold and calculating look in Jequn’s eye, a stark difference to the rage he’d displayed at the loss of his stag. “Do you have any idea what you’re offering?”

“Yes.” Gabriel let his shirt drop to the floor. The air felt cold against his bared skin. He started to loosen the tie on his pants, letting the fabric slip down to expose his hip and the delicate curl of silver hair across his lower abdomen.

“Stop,” Jequn commanded.

Gabriel hesitated. The man wouldn’t even look at him. Humiliation and disgust made Gabriel ask, “Am I not good enough for you, Father? Don’t you want me?”

“No.” 

“But you want Alexiel. If he stood before you like this-”

Jequn moved fast. He grabbed Gabriel’s jaw and squeezed, his fingers bruising both sides of the boy’s face. “You are my son,” Jequn hissed. “My heir. If you think for a second that I would see you as anything more than that, as a weak shadow I cast, you are as dumb as you are insolent.” He shoved him back.

Gabriel stumbled, but kept his feet. He rubbed his jaw, brow furrowed. “You let Alexiel think he was your son for years while you abused him. You raised him. What difference does it make?”

“I saved him.”

“You broke him,” Gabriel snapped. “And I’ll never let you touch him again.”

Jequn bared his teeth, his eyes filled with fury. “What hold does that little whore have over you that you would offer yourself so freely in his place?”

“He’s my brother. I swore I would protect him.” He stepped forward, angry. “I’ve done everything you wanted. My grades are perfect. I’ve become an heir you could be proud of.”

“I could never be proud of you,” Jequn spat. “You’re a disappointment, Gabriel. You always will be. You can’t even figure it out, can you?”

Gabriel glared at his father, seething with hatred. “Figure what out?” 

“Why I let you continue to make a fool of yourself at that academy. Your compassion is a weakness, and I will have it destroyed, one way or another. You will learn your place.” Jequn picked up a ringed cane staff from the top of one of his shelves. “If you’re so eager to take another’s punishment to pay for their crimes, then so be it. Lean over the bench.”

_A beating_. Even though Gabriel had been expecting that, or worse, it was still difficult to willingly accept being hit. He legs wouldn’t move.

“Well?” Jequn demanded. He flicked his wrist, swishing the cane sharply through the air. “Are you bowing out? Shall I find your precious little brother and teach him a few of the lessons he appears to have forgotten?” 

“No,” Gabriel said. The cane sliced through the air again, making Gabriel flinch. He licked his dry lips. “No, sir.” He couldn’t turn back now. Gabriel stepped up to the bench. “If you do this, you can’t punish him for what he did.” 

“I’ll make sure this is punishment enough for the both of you.”

Gabriel gulped. He knew this was going to hurt, but it was why he came. He leaned across the bench, getting into position. Nervously, he glanced back. “S-Should I take off my pants?” he asked.

The Isten coldly scoffed, “See if that fabric is going to help against what I do to you.” Then, he raised his arm, and struck.


	92. Alex: 3rd Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

When cloaked servants carried Gabriel into the room, it was well after dawn. He lay on a sheet soaked with blood. It dripped and splattered on the floorboards as they carefully maneuvered his limp body to the bed. 

Alex sat in the pit, listening from the other room, clutching a pillow to his chest. That was where Gabriel told him to stay when he left, and that was were Alex remained, even after the screaming started. And when it stopped. He didn’t move now, either, as the servants tended to his brother’s wounds.

_It’s my fault. Everything is my fault._

Alex rocked back and forth, his face buried in the pillow while he listened. He heard water poured into a basin. Emptied when it was too stained. Refilled again. They were washing Gabriel, cleaning his body. Footsteps left, then returned. Fresh water again. Torn fabric signaled when they began to dress his wounds, covering the damage until the bleeding stopped. A clean cloth snapped as they shook it in the air over him, then let it lightly cover his body. They were finished for now.

“My Lord Alexiel?” a familiar voice said from the archway into the room. Alex raised his face from the pillow to see Indara, the servant who had cared for him during his last few seasons at the manor. She looked the same, her emotionless black eyes watching him.

His relief at seeing her alive overcame him. He ran to her and threw his arms around her waist, hugging her tight. “You’re alive,” he cried.

“This one has many uses for our Lord Master. Not all of them require fingers.” She raised her left hand, and Alex saw that she was missing two black-nailed fingers at the second joint. 

“He did that to you?” Alex asked, horrified. She was Homm. She couldn’t heal that.

“There was grief and rage for many days after my Lord Alexiel left. But this one would give what fingers remain to see you leave again.” 

Her black eyes were dull and emotionless, but her words brought tears to Alex’s eyes. “Come with me.”

“This one’s place is at our Lord Master’s side, tending to the ill and wounded. This one will stay.”

Alex stepped back from her, sniffling. “Gabriel…?”

“He will heal, my Lord Alexiel.” She motioned for Alex to enter Gabriel’s bedroom. He hesitated, struggling to swallow past the lump in his throat, and then went in.

Gabriel lay on his stomach, eyes closed, blissfully unconscious. They had washed his face, but his silver hair was still stained with blood. Bruises in the shape of fingers were on his cheeks, but there was little other damage to his face. It was his lower back that was the problem.

Gabriel’s wings lay spread on each side, feathers as stained as his hair. The sheet began halfway down his back, covering the rest of him. Spots of blood already soaked through the thin fabric, spreading wider even as Alex watched.

“What did he do to him?” Alex whispered, standing helplessly beside his brother. 

“The skin has been flayed from his back, his spine crushed, his hips broken. My Lord Gabriel will heal, but will not walk for many days.”

“He broke his back?” Tears dripped from Alex’s eyes. “It should be me.”

“It should, but it is not. There are many in the service to our Lord Master who still seek the beasts released.” Indara touched Alex’s hair, tucking it behind his ear. “My Lord Alexiel may not have been as fortunate as my Lord Gabriel.”

“I don’t care. This isn’t fair.”

“There is little in life that is fair, my Lord Alexiel.” She bowed briefly to him. “This one will return in an hour to change the dressings. Would a meal be requested?”

Alex shook his head. “I can’t eat.”

“Very well.” Indara raised her hood and slipped from the room.

For hours, Alex stayed at Gabriel’s side, watching him sleep. He watched as another servant and Indara returned, removed the blood soaked fabric, washed the wounds again, and covered them. Gabriel’s back was a bloody mess. Two of his lower vertebrae were exposed, too white amid all that red. 

After the third time they redressed the wounds, the bleeding slowed. Gabriel woke soon after, his eyes barely opening. He didn’t try to move.

“Brother,” Alex gasped, relieved.

Gabriel looked at him a few seconds, then closed his eyes again. His brow furrowed. “Go away, Alex,” he said. His voice was rough, strained from too much screaming.

“Brother, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I-”

“I said. Go. Away.” Gabriel icy eyes opened again, looking at Alex. “I don’t want to see you right now. Just let me suffer in peace.” Gabriel turned his head so he was facing the other direction, and even that small movement looked incredibly painful for the silver-haired Ahnnak.

Wings trembling, Alex whispered, “Brother?”

“Go!” rasped Gabriel, his voice cracking. 

Alex’s chest ached. Tears blurred his vision as he hurried out of his brother’s quarters. He wanted to hide. He wanted to find somewhere safe and never come out, but that didn’t exist. Not in the manor. 

Nearly everyone was out searching for the beasts Alex released. Alex went down the stairs and to the foyer, where he could see the cloaked figures searching the tall grasses. More servants would be in the jungle, but there were dangers there that prevented them from going far. Alex spotted Jequn outside the stables with Marlo. They were pointing at the different pens, discussing the beasts that probably hadn’t been found yet.

_Good_. Alex hoped they never found them.

When he was certain no one was looking, Alex jumped off the porch and ran to the jungle, staying low to avoid being seen. He darted into the shade of the trees, disappearing into the shadows without a sound.

***

Even though years had passed, Alex followed the path to the clearing just as easily as he had when he was younger. Vines and plants disguised some of the twists that took him deeper into the trees, but he knew where the turns should be, and he pushed through the overgrowth until he reached the clearing.

Dappled sunlight flickered across the mossy floor, but that was the only movement in the clearing. The log Alex used to wait on had decayed more, caving in at one end. Alex touched some of the wood, and it crumbled under his fingertips. He decided to sit on the mossy ground. 

Time passed in the quiet clearing as Alex waited. He lay on his side and faded in and out of consciousness, too tired to stay awake, but too upset to sleep. It was his fault Gabriel was hurt. It should have been him. He never should have let Gabriel leave that room to talk to Jequn. 

But he’d been scared. He was scared of how angry Gabriel had been with him, and he was scared of facing Jequn. He sat where he was told and did nothing when Gabriel left. He stayed there, trembling, listening to the sound of the Isten beating his brother through the walls, and he still did nothing.

It was all his fault. 

Alex sniffled and wiped his eyes, rolling to his other side. The sunlight flickering over him kept him warm, even though the ground was cool. 

A twig nearby snapped, and Alex sat up abruptly. He listened. The birdsong had faded. Something approached.

“Hadasha?” Alex called, hoping to see his friend again.

Another snap of a twig came, but it was from the ground. It wasn’t Hadasha. She always came from above, in the branches of the trees. It could be a servant, though they never ventured this far into the jungle. Alex tried to peer into the shadows, wondering if he should hide, when the stag appeared.

“You.” Alex stood as the stag walked into the clearing. “What are you doing here?” he asked the beast. This clearing was over an hour away, through twisting jungle, but it was still much too close to the valley. “You’re going to get caught.”

The stag shook his head, the vines and moss hanging from the his antlers swaying with the motion. The beast snorted. 

Frowning, Alex replied, “Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you run through a jungle. Everything grows fast here. You need to keep moving.” 

The stag lowered his head, and Alex started untangling the vines from the antlers. The moss came off easy, but the vines took some work. When he finished, the stag raised his head and shook his antlers back and forth in a motion that gradually spread through his whole body, like he was shaking himself dry. When he was done, he pranced about, tossing his head back.

Alex smiled, but the beast still wasn’t safe here. “You should keep running.”

The stag did another lap, then slowed and walked up to Alex. He bumped his head against Alex’s shoulder, hard enough to send him sprawling into the moss. It wasn’t aggressive, but it caught Alex off guard. He put his hands out to catch himself, but the moss cushioned most of his fall. With a satisfied grunt, the stag folded his legs beneath him, and lay down, too.

“You’re tired,” Alex realized. The stag grunted and watched Alex expectantly. The black-haired boy sighed. “Oh, alright. But only for a couple hours. Then you have to go.” He crawled over to the stag’s side and leaned against him. The stag curled around Alex, resting his head on the moss, then closed his eyes.

Alex kept watch over the beast while he rested. The expansive antlers stretched well over his head, even with the beast lying down. At one point, Alex knelt so he could run his fingers over the rough surface. It felt like dry bone. The stag’s large ear twitched, smacking Alex’s head, and he sat back down so the beast could rest.

The stag was warm and his fur soft, but Alex didn’t sleep. He listened, hoping none of the servants would come there. He didn’t know what he would do if they found the stag in the clearing, but he wasn’t going to let the beast be returned to Jequn.

Maybe, if Alex had known what Jequn would do to Gabriel, he never would have released the stag, but they were past that now. Returning the stag wouldn’t make Gabriel’s pain any easier, and the stag deserved to be free. 

The birdsong stopped suddenly, and Alex sat forward, alert. The clearing was silent. Alex climbed under the antlers and over the stag’s neck, waking the beast. He crawled until he was far enough outside the range of the antlers that he could stand without bumping his head, and he watched the trees.

The leaves rippled. The shadows shifted. 

Hadasha had arrived.

***

The pardua landed at the edge of the clearing as the stag climbed to his feet. The beasts watched each other, like they were both waiting for the other to make a move. Alex stood in the middle, hands out to each of them. He was so happy to see Hadasha again, but he had to make sure she didn’t try to eat the stag, first.

“Hadasha, he’s a friend. Don’t eat him.” 

Her amber eyes glanced at him, then back to the stag. Her whiskers twitched, curling her lip back from her enormous, protruding fangs. She took a step forward, and the stag tensed, ready to run, but he remained. 

Alex projected calm, trying to let the beasts know there was no danger here. _Friends._

Hadasha padded over to Alex, not making any sound as she walked across the moss. He remained motionless while she sniffed him, his black hair tickling her nose as she inhaled. She sneezed, and grumbled, then curled her paw around Alex and flopped to her side.

“No, don’t!” Alex cried, but it was already too late. Hadasha held him in her paws, licking his face and hair with her rough tongue. He squirmed, trying to get away, but she just licked whatever he exposed. His arm, a wing, his leg. Nothing was safe. 

By the time Hadasha released him, Alex felt like he’d been bathed in sand. His skin was pink, his feathers tweaked, and his hair was tangled with pardua spit. She pulled him to her face and rubbed her scent all over him while purring.

Alex scratched under her chin. “Yeah, I missed you, too.” He finally stepped back and tried to smooth his hair while he shook out his wings. “Hadasha, the stag is my friend. Please don’t eat him.” The pardua looked at the stag and grumbled, her tail twitching across the ground with heavy thuds. 

The stag extended his head toward Alex and warbled, like he was trying to call Alex toward him. The pardua made the stag nervous. That was understandable, but there was no reason they couldn’t get along. 

Alex walked over to him, and when he was close enough, the stag started sniffing him, examining the scent of the pardua all over him. Hadasha watched from a distance for a bit, then got up and followed. The stag flung his head from side to side, warning her to stay away. She stopped and sat, watching with heavily lidded eyes. 

“See?” Alex said. “She’s not going to hurt you. She’s a friend.”

The stag wasn’t convinced, but as Alex kept petting his neck, he relaxed. Hadasha blinked slowly at him, watching and waiting. When the stag was comfortable with her being that close, she got up and moved closer. 

He didn’t try to swing his antlers at her this time. They sniffed each other’s noses, sharing their breath in greeting. The stag snorted, apparently not impressed with whatever Hadasha had recently eaten, but she wasn’t offended. 

Alex stared up at the two beasts that towered over him, and smiled. They could definitely be friends.

Hadasha sniffed the stag’s coat and her tongue flicked out between her fangs. When she reached the hairless spots on his rump, she paused. She breathed him in though her mouth, making a face at the strange scent. Then she licked her nose a couple times, and started cleaning the stag’s hindquarters. 

He grunted and tried walking away from her, but she placed a paw on him and pushed him down. The stag lay back down, giving a disgruntled bellow, but allowed Hadasha to clean him. 

Alex sat on the log, picking at the decaying wood, while Hadasha licked the stag clean. The stag even let her lick his face. When she was done, she lay behind him and closed her eyes, a deep rumble vibrating through the clearing. Alex was surprised to realize most of the stags coat was a pale color, nearly white. He had just been incredibly dirty.

It was getting late, and Alex figured it was almost time for dinner, but he didn’t want to go home. His stomach growled, and he wished he had thought to grab food before running out here. He would have to go back eventually. 

But not yet. 

He slid off the log and walked over to the stag and pardua. He crawled between Hadasha’s fangs, then over her shoulder, so he could lay on top her side. Her paws kneaded the air, and the sound of her purring increased while he nestled into her fur. The stag leaned over to sniff him, then lay his head back down and resumed sleeping. Alex relaxed, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep, too.


	93. Gabriel: 3rd Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

The fiend-taken servants peeled the cloth from Gabriel’s back again, the fibers tugging at the dried blood across his damaged skin. Gabriel clenched his fists and buried his face in his pillow, trying not to scream. They’d been doing this to him every hour, ignoring his protests. He wanted to kick them away, and the only reason he didn’t was because he couldn’t feel his legs.

There was plenty of pain, but none of it came from below his hips. His legs were still there. He had checked. He just couldn’t feel them. He’d been paralyzed, and there was nothing he could except wait until his body healed. 

His wings still worked, twitching and spasming with pain while the servants slowly removed more of the cloth from his back, but the muscles that allowed him to fly were damaged. Even the thought of using them was painful. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was stuck at the whims of these void-eaten servants, who were hell bent on doing nothing but torturing him!

“Stop! Get away from me!” he yelled.

“This one begs my Lord Gabriel’s forgiveness,” one servant said. A woman. Gabriel couldn’t tell. They never lowered their damned hoods. 

“If you want me to forgive you, then stop touching me!” Neither servant stopped. The last of the fabric was removed, and then warm water was dabbed across his back. That hurt, too. 

He pressed his face into his pillow and screamed in frustration. By the time they were done, Gabriel was breathing hard with tears rolling down his cheeks. He raised his head in time to see them reach for more fabric to cover his wounds. 

“Leave it off,” he said. “Don’t cover it. Just leave it alone.”

“A wound such as this left uncovered will dry,” the same servant said. “It must remain protected and moist until new skin has sealed what needs to mend.” The damp cloths went back on. The servants left, though Gabriel knew they’d be back in another hour to torment him again.

Gabriel closed his eyes to try to sleep. It was all he could do, but his mind was restless. He wished he had a something to distract himself from his thoughts and the pain. A book, or a scroll. Anything.

Heavy footsteps approached. Gabriel’s stomach lurched. 

No, anything, but that.

Jequn entered Gabriel’s room. He was the last person the injured boy wanted to see. The Isten carried a small clay jar with him, and he walked in casually, glancing around the bedroom.

“Where is Alexiel?” he asked with feigned disinterest. 

“I don’t know,” Gabriel grumbled and turned his face away from his father. 

“I didn’t come to fight, my son.”

“Did you come to finish me off? If you did, just kill me and get it over with. It’s not like I can run away.” 

“Yes, you are quite confined to that bed at the moment, aren’t you? Though next time, perhaps I will have to fix that mouth of yours.” 

Jequn approached the bed, and Gabriel realized that now might be a good time for him to keep his mouth shut. He turned to face the Isten again, watching his father warily. 

Crouching, Jequn was almost even with Gabriel’s head on the pillow. He partially opened his six wings to prevent his feathers from laying across the floor. They radiated around him in a peculiar way that vaguely reminded Gabriel of a vulture waiting in the sun for its turn to pick apart carrion. 

The comparison wasn’t pleasant to imagine, considering Jequn was looming over him.

“We found nearly all the beasts, except the stag. The jungle is too dense for the servants to track it. I will send the ones who failed me anyway, and should they die among the native fauna, so be it.”

“Failed you?” asked Gabriel.

“Those on guard, who should have caught a small, sneaky child who is acting out for attention.” 

Gabriel wanted to argue and say Alex wasn’t acting out for attention, but maybe it was true. Alex didn’t know how to regulate his emotions. He’d been upset about the stag. Years of being poisoned with Holloway had stunted his development, and he still had difficulty managing his feelings, even after two years at the academy. 

That meant if anyone was at fault for the stag’s escape, it was Jequn, for poisoning Alex in the first place.

Wisely, Gabriel did not voice that thought.

Jequn touched Gabriel’s hair, rolling it through his fingers and breaking up some of the bloody clumps. Gabriel wished he could move away from him, but he could only lay and watch, trying not to show his fear.

“Your hair is as soft as your mother’s,” the Isten mused, his voice quiet. “She was your age when I married her. I always worried I would not be able to replicate my silver in my offspring on this planet. I worked with the Terran devoted to me for centuries, trying to perfect a complimentary and compliant mate. I thought I had done well. You were everything I wanted you to be.” Gabriel’s hair slowly slipped from Jequn’s fingers. 

“After Alexiel was born, I thought I was lucky you turned out so well. I thought your mother’s defective genetics had been negated, at least for one of my children. It was too late when I realized her insubordinate attitude was the only thing defective in her, which she unfortunately passed on to your and your brother.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” Gabriel asked.

The Isten sat the clay jar on the edge of Gabriel’s bed where he could see it without turning his head. The end of a smooth stick stuck out of the top, but he couldn’t see what was inside. “I want you to understand that it was not always my intention to hate you.”

Nervously, Gabriel watched as Jequn extracted the stick from the jar. A thick, golden substance clung to the wood, dripping slowly back into the container. There was a hollow ball on the end of the stick with holes all over it. It was filled with the thick liquid.

“What is that?” Gabriel whispered, his heart pounding.

Jequn tilted his head, giving Gabriel a strange look. “It is honey, my son. You need to eat.” The Isten brought the small, honey-filled ball to Gabriel’s lips, but the boy didn’t open his mouth. “I used to have your brother suck it from my fingers while he was recovering. I thought you would prefer this method.” 

Gabriel wings gave a weak shudder. He opened his mouth.

The Isten placed the end of the stick into Gabriel’s mouth, allowing him to draw the honey from the ball. It was sweet and delicious, and Gabriel hated to feel as grateful for it as he did. He hadn’t eaten today, and had nothing but farina yesterday. If he was going to heal, he needed food. 

When Gabriel got everything he could from the stick, Jequn pulled it from his mouth and dipped it back into the jar. This time, when he offered the honey-soaked orb to Gabriel, the boy didn’t hesitate. Jequn seemed pleased with that. 

“Amazing creatures, bees,” Jequn mused while he watched Gabriel. “Capable of creating such a dense nutritional supplement. They are one of those creatures whose loss will mark the end of an eon.”

Gabriel didn’t understand what Jequn meant. Bees were everywhere. They weren’t just going to vanish. 

The boy opened his mouth, and Jequn removed the stick, returning it to the jar to let it absorb more honey. Gabriel licked a bit of the sticky substance from his lips, then asked, “Why are you being nice to me?” 

“You have suffered through your brother’s punishment. Do you wish for more?”

“No.”

“Then what is your complaint?” 

Gabriel swallowed, then said, “You’ve beaten me before. You never came to see me while I healed.” 

“You’ve never needed me before.” Jequn offered Gabriel the stick of honey again, which he accepted. “A day or two of being sore was usually enough time for you to dwell upon why you received your punishment, though you always tended to spend your time sulking, like it was my fault your backside got bruised.” Jequn smiled slightly. “You’ve always been more stubborn than I would have liked.” The smile slowly faded. “This time, it is more than just a few superficial bruises. And yet, I still don’t think you learned your lesson.”

While Gabriel sucked the honey from the stick, he cautiously watched Jequn. The man made him uneasy. Gabriel was helpless before him, no matter what turn his mood took. No one would save him. Gabriel opened his mouth, and Jequn removed the stick, replenished the honey, and gave it back to him. 

When Jequn stroked Gabriel’s silver hair back from his face, Gabriel flinched. The move sent a sharp pain through his back. He tried to remind himself to remain still, but it was hard. The Isten had him confused and on edge, and the pain made it difficult to think clearly.

“You are so young,” the Isten said with a sigh. “I do not envy you the lessons you must learn. Eternity is difficult to understand when you have yet to live a single lifetime.” He lowered his hand. “You and I will have to work together for a long time, and the sooner you learn your place, and understand what I am trying to teach you, the better off you’ll be.”

The Isten took the stick from Gabriel’s mouth and held it up. “This is your last one. Too much at once, and it will do more harm than good.” 

While the ball on the end sat in the jar, filling with honey, Gabriel asked, “Why Alexiel?” He was afraid to ask, but he needed to know.

“He’s mine,” Jequn stated, like it was a simple fact that could forgive everything he had done. “He’ll always be mine.” He fed Gabriel the last offering of honey. “One day you’ll understand that what I did, I did out of love. He was nothing more than a Terran bastard who deserved to die merely for being born. I gave him a place and a purpose. He would have been taken care of his entire life.” Jequn stood, staring down at Gabriel while his wings stretched wider, radiating around him. “Then you had to go and interfere.” He plucked the stick from Gabriel’s mouth and removed the jar of honey from the bed. 

“That’s not love,” Gabriel said, looking up at his father, “and he’s not a Terran.”

“Do not think to tell me of the complexities of love,” Jequn snapped. “I was born before the sundering of Ista, and I have cared for nothing more on either side of the abyss than I do Alexiel. The fact that he is Ahnnak matters little, except that I will not lose him at the turn of the millennia. For that knowledge, I am grateful, and it is the only thing that makes waiting for you to concede bearable.” Jequn walked over and sat the jar of honey on a shelf. “A servant will feed you more later.”

“I’m never going to give him back to you, you know,” Gabriel said, watching his father leave the room.

“He’ll come back to me on his own, and there is little you will be able to do to stop him.” Jequn shook out his six wings and folded them loosely against his back, before walking down the hall and leaving Gabriel alone in his chambers.

It was impossible to sleep after that. Gabriel tried, but his mind raced with a tumult of unpleasant thoughts, most of which had to do with his father and Alex. One thing was clear, Jequn had no remorse about what he’d done to Alex. If given the opportunity, he would probably do it again. Gabriel wouldn’t give him that chance. 

When the servants enter the room again, Gabriel glared at them and snapped, “Go away. It hasn’t been an hour.”

“An hour has passed, my Lord Gabriel. This one must burden you once more.” They stepped up to begin removing the dried fabric from his back.

“Leave me alone, you old fiend! Get your hands off me!” Gabriel yelled, but they ignored him. The cloth was peeled slowly from his back. He pressed his face into the pillow, too overwhelmed with pain to think of anything anymore.


	94. Alex: 4th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

Alex yawned and woke surrounded in tawny fur. He stretched and wiggled, feeling wonderful. He hadn’t slept that good in _years_. His wings fluttered against his back as he slid off Hadasha’s warm side. He meant to go off her back, but slipped off her belly, falling into the crevice between the pardua and stag. For a moment, he didn’t realize what happened, and sank lower, disappearing between their bodies. It was like drowning in fur. Alex panicked and tried pulling himself out, but he was stuck.

Fortunately, the stag woke when Alex yanked his fur. He got up, giving an unhappy series of short brays. Hadasha rolled onto her back, curling her paws over her belly, seeming uninteresting in waking yet. 

Alex got to his feet and dusted himself off. “Sorry,” he said to the stag. 

The beast snorted at him, then walked to the edge of the clearing and began eating leaves from from a small shrub. It made Alex realize how hungry he was. He peered up at the sky through the trees, trying to determine how late it was, when he realized the shadows were being cast from the wrong direction.

It wasn’t late, it was early. He’d slept through the night and into morning!

“I’ve got to go,” he said quickly. If he was gone too long, someone would come looking for him. He couldn’t let anyone find the clearing, especially not with the stag there. 

Alex had never stayed out all night before, not while Jequn was at home. He ran over and hugged Hadasha, startling her awake. She chirped at him, and lazily swiped her paw at his head. 

“I’ll be back later,” Alex promised. “Watch over the stag.” He scratched under her chin, and she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. When he moved away from her, she seemed content to continue to lay there and sleep.

The stag didn’t stop eating as Alex reached up to rub his neck. “If someone comes, run away. Don’t wait for me.” He didn’t know if the stag was ignoring him, or just didn’t understand how important getting away from there really was. The beast just grunted a few times and kept eating.

Alex started on the path back to the manor. At least Hadasha was there watching over the stag. She would keep him safe.

When Alex arrived back in the valley, he jumped up onto the porch and ran inside, hoping he could get up to the bath before anyone saw him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. He skidded around the corner to the stairs, just as Jequn reached the last step. 

They both froze, staring at each other in surprise for a few heartbeats. Then, Jequn said, “You should have come back in through the window.” 

Alex gulped, squeezing his wings tight against his back. The Isten’s cold blue eyes lingered on him for a few moments, like he was debating what he should do with Alex now that he’d caught him breaking rules. Alex wanted to run, but he was held captive by the Isten’s sharp gaze, too terrified to move a muscle. 

Jequn finally looked away. He sighed, then said, “Come eat breakfast with me, Alexiel.” 

Alex moved backward as the Isten took the last step off the stairs and strode to the table. Jequn motioned to the seat beside him, where Alex’s mother was supposed to sit, inviting the little boy to join him. Except it wasn’t really an invitation. Alex recognized a command when he saw one. He stiffly walked over and sat beside the man.

Once seated, Jequn examined Alex, his sharp eyes noting the dirt and scrapes Alex picked up after spending the night in the jungle. Alex sat quietly under his gaze, head lowered, waiting.

“You haven’t said a word to me since coming home,” the Isten said softly. 

Alex glanced up. That wasn’t exactly the reprimand he had been expecting. “I’m sorry, sir,” he whispered.

The Isten placed a hand on the table, his fingers tapping the wood in a soft pattern, like the beginning of a rainstorm. “I’ll give your brother credit for one thing. He quickly grasped the importance of appearing unified. It is beneficial to us all if you continue to call me ‘Father.’ Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes, Father.” It was difficult to say. Alex lowered his eyes. 

“You’ve grown.” 

The way Jequn said it made Alex feel like he should apologize for that, too, but he remained silent. He noticed dirt under his grey nails, and focused on picking them clean. If only he had made it to the bath.

Jequn tapped the table twice with his knuckle, signaling to the servants that he was ready to be served breakfast. Almost immediately, the kitchen door swung open. Two cloaked figures emerged, each carrying a small silver platter of diced pear, plum, and walnut, presented in carefully arranged portions. One served Jequn, the other Alex, then they bowed and backed from the room in tandem. 

When the door swung shut, Jequn motioned to the food on Alex’s platter. “No need for formality this morning, Alexiel. It’s just the two of us. I am sure you are hungry after all the trouble you’ve caused.”

He was. Spending a day and night in the jungle without eating had left Alex famished, and having the enticing platter before him made his mouth water. He couldn’t bring himself to refuse the man’s offer. He chose a piece of plum. The fruit was juicy, sort of sour, but otherwise bland. He was so hungry, he didn’t care. It was difficult not to eat fast, even with Jequn watching.

Jequn began eating as well, though he continued to observe Alex. “I’ve missed you, Alexiel,” he said, speaking softly between bites.

Alex ignored the statement and focused on eating. After what Jequn had done, he really had no response for the man. He didn’t care if Jequn missed him. Alex didn’t miss being home at all.

“You’re angry with me.” Jequn huffed, like it was something amusing. “Who would have thought when your mother abandonded you in my lap, such a tiny thing would cause me such heartache?”

Alex’s food paused halfway to his mouth. Jequn had never spoken of their past before. The surprise must have been evident on Alex’s face, because Jequn smirked. Alex quickly continued eating, and tried not to look as curious as he was.

The Isten popped a piece of pear into his mouth. “Do you remember how you came to me?” he asked. 

Dirty black hair swayed around Alex’s shoulders as he shook his head. “No, Father,” he said quietly. His earliest memories were of Jequn and pain. There was little before that.

“I suppose you were too young to remember,” Jequn mused. “When I confronted your mother about her affair, she admitted to everything. I should have killed her. I should have killed you, too, but there is this purity in youth…” 

A soft smile touched Jequn’s lips as he looked away, staring into the distance as while he remembered. “When you were born, your hair was as black as the emptiness between the worlds, but so delicate. You had these baby soft curls that surrounded your chubby cheeks and blue eyes…” He chuckled at the memory. “You used to climb into my lap when I came home so you could touch my hair. Your mother always tried to tame your curls, but it was hopeless. You would twist a lock of my hair in your chubby little fingers while your wild curls tickled my cheek. You were so cute. It was almost a relief when I found out you weren’t my son.” 

Jequn’s attention shifted back to Alex, his eyes focused. “Liliel had outgrown my tastes by the time I discovered the affair. When I suggested a trade, she didn’t hesitate. She surrendered you to me without a second thought, and I allowed her to continue living under my name. If I had been cruel, I would have labeled her shame and cast her from the society she adores, to wander the streets with you in disgrace. Even killing you both would have been merciful compared to that. But instead, I saved you.”

“Saved me?” Alex asked. 

“Do not think for a moment that your mother would not have traded you away for the first warm bed she came upon,” Jequn said harshly, his eyes sharp. “Unclaimed children are a burden to E’din. If a whorehouse didn’t snatch you up first, you would have ended up in the army as fodder for the fiends. Death at the hands of the Jinn is seldom quick, especially for one as alluring as you.”

The remaining food on Alex’s platter was no longer appetizing. He squeezed his wings tight against his back, trying to hide how much he was shaking.

The Isten’s expression softened. “What I have done, I have done to protect you, Alexiel. I claimed you, when by rights, I should have killed you. I gave you a purpose. You will always belong to me.” He chose a walnut and ate it while he watched the way Alex trembled. “The first night I took you, your tears were nearly as big as your eyes. You cried and struggled so much, but you had to learn your place.”

Alex remembered pain. He remembered how often he used to scream and cry until he was empty of any feeling, except for the continued intrusion of his father’s body into his. It made him feel numb.

“Holloway was a kindness,” Jequn explained, “to help you adapt. It made your lessons easier to endure.”

“You poisoned me,” Alex whispered, looking up. The thick liquid trapped in his eyes shifted in black, prismatic swirls. 

“Some of the side effects were unfortunate,” Jequn admitted, “but it was all for your benefit. I claimed you as my own, and even now, you are fortunate that I did.”

“Why?” 

“A claim is more than just words, little one. My essence fills you, saturating your body with my scent so that none may doubt that you belong to me. They will believe it is because you are my son, but the truth is you are so much more.” Jequn’s adoring smile sent chills down Alex’s spine. “It will be years before my claim fades from your system, but I am certain you will return to me before then.”

“I won’t,” Alex said defiantly. “I’m never coming back to you.” It hurt to say. His chest felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside. He was so afraid of talking back to this man, he could barely breathe.

Jequn’s eyes narrowed. “Your brother pollutes your mind with misguided notions of morality. There is no place for you in this world, Alexiel, except at my side. You will remember that one day.”

Alex shook his head. “No. I hate you.”

Chuckling, Jequn finished the last bite of fruit from his platter. “Oh, my broken little whore.” His words were crisp, irritated. “I know what you want, and it pains me to say I cannot give it to you.”

Louder, more insistent, Alex repeated, “I hate you!” 

The Isten moved fast, his hand reaching out like he would grab Alex’s throat. Alex closed his eyes and tensed, waiting for the crushing grip to wrap around his neck. His breath came in scared, hiccuping little gasps, but Jequn didn’t touch him. 

When Alex cautiously opened his eyes, he found the Isten close. His ice blue eyes stared down at Alex’s lips, only a breath away from his own. Jequn’s hand was at Alex’s throat, heat radiating off him, but but there was no contact.

“As much as I would love to see your bruised little mouth stretched around me again,” the Isten whispered, keeping his voice low, “your brother thinks he knows what is best for you. The thought of sharing you with anyone hurts me more than you can imagine, but it is the price I must pay to teach my son a lesson.” 

“Why did you do it?” he whispered.

“Do what, beloved?”

“Why did you hurt Gabriel? Why did you let him take my punishment?”

“It was his idea, Alexiel. Do not blame me for something your brother requested.”

“You could have killed him.”

“I should have.” Jequn tilted his head, his fingers caressing the air over Alex’s neck and cheek. “Gabriel is a cocky, confident, willful little shit, and that makes for a very bad heir. I should walk up there right now and snap his neck. End his suffering and mine.”

“Please don’t,” Alex begged, his eyes filling with tears.

Jequn’s lip twitched back in a snarl. “Your attachment to him annoys me.” He stood, leaving Alex quivering in fear on the bench. He pointed at the uneaten food on Alex’s platter. “Eat your food, little one, then take a bath. You’re filthy. I’ll be in Lemuria the next few days, placing requisitions for new beasts. Try to behave.” Then he strode from the manor without looking back. 

When the resounding crack of Jequn’s wings signaled his departure, Alex threw the platter across the room. It bounced off the wall and clattered to the floor, scattering the remaining fruit and nuts everywhere. He held his head in his hands, rocking back and forth as he watched tears silently drip from his eyes to splatter on the floor.


	95. Gabriel: 4th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

Translucent skin covered Gabriel’s back, delicately protecting muscle and bone still too damaged to use. A clean, white sheet lay across his lower half. The silken weight was barely tolerable against his new skin, but at least the servants weren’t harassing him every hour now. They’d come in half the night, waking him and tending to his wounds, no matter how he protested or begged to be left alone. 

When new skin finished sealing the wound, the servants finally left him alone to sleep uninterrupted. Gabriel got at least four hours of sleep before the crack of the Isten’s wings woke him. Startled from his dreams, Gabriel lay in bed, staring at the wall, while he listened to the thunderous flight of the Isten and his own pounding heartbeat. The sounds faded, and he calmed, but he couldn’t fall back asleep.

Tingling pain pricked at Gabriel’s back, concentrated near his spine. All feeling stopped at his hips. Every once in a while, a sharp jolt of pain would shoot down to his toes before he lost feeling in his legs again. He knew nerve damage mended slow, but he’d never been hurt this bad before. As feeling slowly came back, he was afraid to discover how much pain his body was actually in. What he could feel now was bad enough, but he feared it was going to get worse before it got better.

Without the servants coming to tend to him every hour, there was nothing to break up the monotony of the morning. Gabriel had no idea how much time had passed while he lay in bed, listening for any sounds of life around the manor.

When he heard Alex walk into his chambers, he was almost relieved enough for the distraction to forgive the boy. 

Almost.

“Brother?” came the tiny voice from around the wall.

“You can come in, Alex,” Gabriel said. The little boy stepped into the room. He looked like he had been crying. Tears were streaked through the dirt on his face. 

Alex walked up to the bed, keeping his eyes lowered. “I’m sorry, Brother.”

Gabriel wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. “Where have you been?”

“The jungle.”

“Is that why you’re so dirty?” Gabriel asked. Alex nodded. “Figures. I nearly die trying to keep you safe, so the first thing you do is run off to be eaten by a pardua.”

Alex flinched, his wings trembling. “She didn’t eat me, Brother. She won’t even eat the stag. They’re friends.”

Pausing, Gabriel tilted his head. “You know where the stag is?”

Looking guilty, Alex nodded. “He found me in the clearing. I’m not going to bring him back. Father already hurt you.”

“Would you have brought him back anyway?” 

The pause was a heartbeat too long before Alex said, “Yes, Brother.”

He wasn’t lying, but the fact that Alex had to think about whether he would choose his brother or a beast annoyed Gabriel. He didn’t bother to hide his irritation. “Releasing that stag was the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

Fresh tears filled Alex’s eyes. “I had to save him. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”

“Do you have any idea what Jequn would have done to you if I hadn’t offered to take your place?” Alex glanced at the light sheet covering Gabriel’s damaged back and legs. “ _Worse_ ,” Gabriel stated angrily. “Don’t be so ignorant. That man is looking for any excuse to break our deal.”

“Deal?”

“As long as I take advanced classes, you get to attend Archridge and he doesn’t touch you.” Gabriel left out the other parts of the deal. Alex didn’t need to know that. “That only works if you’re not going around intentionally causing trouble.”

“I’m sorry, Brother.” 

“Next time, just do what I tell you and don’t argue with me.”

Looking down, Alex demurely said, “Yes, Brother.”

Gabriel sighed, still annoyed, but Alex looked so pitiful, it was hard to stay angry. Then Gabriel realized what Alex had said. “Wait, you called him Father.”

“He insisted,” Alex said quietly.

Gabriel blinked. “You talked to him. Is that why you’ve been crying? Did he touch you?” Rage swept over Gabriel. “I swear if he so much a laid one finger on you, I’ll-” 

The words cut off as Gabriel temporarily forgot about his condition and tried to get up. The pain quickly reminded him, crashing over him in waves. He collapsed, pressing his face into his pillow to swear until the throbbing agony abated.

“He didn’t touch me, Brother,” Alex said. Gabriel felt his little fingers at his back, readjusting the sheet that had slipped down when he tried to move. The boy was gentler than any of the servants had been. “He just talked. Nothing happened.” 

Even though tears still stung at the corners of his eyes, Gabriel raised his head enough that he could see his brother. “He’s dangerous, Alex. You have to stay away from him.” 

“I know,” Alex said. His little fingers lightly traced the edge of Gabriel’s wound near his wings, where the skin was bruised but not damaged. “He scares me, Brother. I don’t know how to say no to him.” 

Alex looked so sad, Gabriel could barely stand it. “You just do what I tell you, and I’ll keep you safe. I’m going to protect you, Alex. No matter what. You just have to listen to me, okay?”

“I’ll try, Brother.”

Gabriel licked his lips, which felt dry. “So… How bad is my back?”

“It’s bad,” Alex replied softly. “Indara has been taking care of you, though. You’re healing well.”

“Indara?”

“She is the servant who used to care for me. You met her.”

Gabriel remembered then. He had met her. No wonder the voice of the cloaked servant had been familiar, especially the belligerent way she ignored him. He was kind of surprised she was still around, after everything that happened.

“How long do you think I’ll be stuck in this bed?” Gabriel asked.

“Days.” Alex bit his lip while he thought. “I don’t remember how many. It’s hard to track time with pain sometimes.”

That was certainly true.

“My Lord Alexiel,” came a voice from the doorway. Gabriel and Alex both looked over to find a cloaked servant standing there. “The bath is ready.”

“I don’t want to leave my brother,” Alex said. He swiped his palms over his cheeks, smearing the tear streaked dirt across his skin. 

“It is time for this one to tend to my Lord Gabriel’s needs.” That meant she was here to torment him again.

“Fuck off,” Gabriel snapped at her.

“This one is pleased to see rest has improved my Lord Gabriel’s attitude.”

Was that sarcasm? On anyone other than a servant, Gabriel would have taken that as sarcasm, but servants weren’t allowed to speak to anyone like that, especially not the son of the Isten they served. 

“I could stay and help,” Alex suggested.

“No, Alex,” Gabriel said quickly. He didn’t want Alex to see him exposed and helpless. “Just go take a bath. You’re really dirty.” 

Skeptically, Alex said, “Yes, Brother, but… Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Gabriel insisted, trying to sound braver than he felt. Alex gave him a small smile, then left to get cleaned up. 

While Alex was gone, three servants surrounded Gabriel. They cleaned his body and tended his wounds, ignoring his frustrated protests. Being so helpless was humiliating and painful. Gabriel hated it. He was glad Alex wasn’t there to see him like this. 

One of the hooded servants informed him they needed to change the sheets beneath him. Gabriel could barely stand them touching him. Changing the sheets meant moving his whole body. That was going to hurt.

“Don’t you fucking dare, Indara,” Gabriel yelled back. “I know it’s you. Don’t fucking touch me.” 

“This one begs for forgiveness, but the sheets are soiled, my Lord Gabriel. They will be changed.” He swore a lot more at her, but in the end, the servants lifted Gabriel’s body, removed the sheet beneath him, and replaced it with clean bedding. Even the small, careful movements hurt, and Gabriel found he didn’t like being moved around by other people _at all_. 

When they were done, all but one of the servants left. She stayed to help him eat breakfast, which was honey, a couple spoonfuls of farina, and an herb tea. She didn’t give him very much, but he doubted he could have eaten more. The strain of being moved around and harassed by the servants left him exhausted. 

By the time Alex came back in the room, Gabriel could barely keep his eyes open. He reached out to his little brother, and Alex took his hand without a word. His skin was still warm and damp from the bath. He smelled like soap.

“I’m tired, Alex,” Gabriel murmured, barely able to keep his eyes open. “You’ll stay with me, right?”

“I’ll be right here, Brother,” Alex replied, his words giving Gabriel some comfort as he passed out.


	96. Alex: 10th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

For the next few days, Alex alternated between spending time with Gabriel, and visiting Hadasha and the stag in the jungle. Gabriel’s condition was improving, but as he healed, his temper got worse. Alex still didn’t think Gabriel forgave him completely.

However, Alex didn’t blame Gabriel for being grumpy. His brother was embarrassed about needing so much help. The nerves in his back were slowly mending. That meant he was regaining feeling in his legs, but he was still confined to the bed. Gabriel tried to hide how much the pain bothered him, but Alex could tell.

They both benefited from Alex taking a walk in the jungle for a few hours every afternoon while the servants tended to Gabriel’s body. Usually, Gabriel would pass out when they were done helping him, so Alex could be gone a few hours without worry. He made sure his brother had plenty of books close by to keep him occupied if he woke before Alex made it back.

The day before yesterday, Indara began working with Gabriel, encouraging him to move the new muscle and bone growth, even if it hurt. Gabriel swore at her a lot, but at the end of the day, he had been able to lift each leg off the mattress. 

Yesterday, Indara helped him roll over and sit up. When Alex came back from the jungle, Gabriel was propped up in bed, reading one of the books Alex left for him. They ate dinner together in the bedroom, and Gabriel seemed relieved to finally be able to sit up to feed himself. He had actually listened to Alex talk of the stag and Hadasha without looking irritated.

Today, Indara was taking Gabriel to the bath. He couldn’t walk yet, so he’d need help getting there, but once in the water, he’d be able to use his muscles without adding more strain on the mending bones in his hips and spine. Alex remembered the exercises Indara used to help him do, and he knew Gabriel would feel better after they were done, but he had a feeling his brother wouldn’t be happy about it while she helped him.

Alex had left the manor when the servants came in to help move Gabriel, and before he was even halfway down the hall, he could hear his brother yelling and swearing at everyone in the room about not touching him. Alex doubted they were actually hurting Gabriel. His brother just swore a lot. 

As Alex lay in the warm fur of the stag, staring up at the blue sky through the leaves of the trees, he quietly whispered, “Fuck.” 

The stag raised his head and blinked sleepily at him. Smiling, Alex scratched under the beast’s jaw. “I just wanted to see what it was like to curse. I still feel like I’m going to get in trouble, even if it’s just you listening.”

The stag gave a few contented grunts in response and laid his head back down. Like Gabriel, the beast was recovering from what Jequn had done. He no longer favored his rear leg when he walked, but he still remained in the clearing, just eating and sleeping. Even with Hadasha guarding him, Alex knew it wouldn’t be safe there forever.

About time for dinner, when Alex would need to head back, Hadasha returned. She didn’t drop down immediately, but sat in the branches overhead, grooming herself. When she started biting at her claws, tugging at the casing with her front teeth, the stag got up and warbled at her. He didn’t like the popping sound her teeth made scraping along her nails. 

Hadasha paused, giving the stag an annoyed look while she held her rear paw up, toes splayed. The stag grunted at her again, then wandered to the other edge of the clearing to graze. Hadasha resumed cleaning her claws.

Alex flew up to sit on the branch beside her. “I’m glad you two are getting along,” he told the pardua. She ignored him, though the end of her tail twitched. He sat beside her while she noisily cleaned, looking down at the stag as he grazed. The clearing was peaceful. Alex wished he could stay there forever. 

Suddenly, Hadasha stopped grooming. She raised her head, listening. The end of her tongue stuck out of her mouth, like she forgot it was there. Alex listened, too. When the stag whickered and ran a nervous lap around the edge of the clearing, Alex heard it.

Rolling thunder. Alex recognized the sound with a dread that settled in his bones. Jequn approached. 

Hadasha licked her nose a couple times, and then pulled her tongue back into her mouth. She followed Alex down to the moss as he dropped from the branch.

“I need to get home,” Alex told her as he walked toward the path back to the manor. Hadasha curled her paw around his stomach, pulling him back to her. She snuffled in his hair and gave him a few rough licks before he was able to squirm out of her grasp. “I’ll be back,” he promised. “I don’t want Gabriel to be left alone.” 

Hadasha chirped at him. She didn’t want him to go. She pressed her nose against his chest, and he draped himself across her wide muzzle. “I’ll be okay.” He knew Hadasha had no reason to fear Jequn, but she was picking up on his anxiety. He tried to project himself as calm and happy, even though that was hard. Hadasha didn’t believe it any more than he did. 

The rumble in the air grew louder. Alex slid off the pardua’s nose and scratched under her chin. He collected some of her fur, out of habit, and tucked it into his pocket. He gave her one more smile, then turned and ran toward the manor.

Flying would have been faster, if he had gone above the trees, but then he risked being seen. Alex ran as fast as he could through the mass of tangled, overgrown plants, which did their best to slow him down every step of the way. He wasn’t even halfway home before he heard the clear, unmistakable sound of the Isten’s wings, and then everything went silent. Jequn had made it home before him. 

“Fuck,” Alex whispered, a little more earnestly than before. He still felt guilty saying it.

When he finally reached the valley, he was out of breath and his black hair was tangled with twigs. He tried to comb some of them out with his fingers while he walked across the field to the manor.

“Welcome home, Alexiel,” Jequn said, standing on the porch, his white wings draped smooth down his back.

Alex stood before him, looking up at the man. “Welcome home, Father,” he replied. He folded his wings tight against his back and tried not to look scared.

“You’ve been in the jungle again.”

“Yes, Father.” Alex lowered his eyes. There was no point lying about it. 

“Your disobedience should be dealt with.” The phrase made Alex’s belly clench and his blood run cold. “However, dinner is almost ready. Go get cleaned up, and join me for the meal.”

“Yes, Father,” Alex whispered. He watched Jequn go inside, then cautiously stepped up on the porch and followed him. 

Jequn took his seat at the head of the table and picked up a blue table. His eyes tracked the scrolling text. Alex started up the stairs to the bedrooms on the second level, but Jequn’s voice made him pause.

“Alexiel, if you’re not back in ten minutes, I’m coming up there and breaking your brother’s legs. Understand?”

“Y-Yes, Father,” Alex replied, trembling. He raced up the stairs to Gabriel’s chambers. He moved as quietly as he could through the rooms, hoping he wouldn’t wake his brother. He peeked in at him. Gabriel was asleep on his back, an open book spread across his chest. His hair was still wet from the bath, but shined silver, no longer stained red with his own blood. 

Alex hurried into the bathing room. Indara was in there, mixing scented oils into the bath. Her hood was flipped back from her face while she swirled the oils in the water with the hand missing two fingers. “Those in service to our Lord Master had not drained the tepid water yet. This one has warmed the bath best as possible, but haste is essential.”

“Yes, it is,” Alex agreed. “Will you help with my hair?”

“This one is no longer assigned to the care of my Lord Alexiel.” 

“Please, Indara. I need to hurry. I don’t want him hurting Gabriel again.”

“As my Lord Alexiel wishes.” Indara pushed up her sleeves. Alex stripped down, stepped out of the dirty clothes, and quickly jumped into the water. It was cold. Alex dunked his head enough to wet his hair, then walked on tiptoes over to Indara as he started shivering. She worked soap and lotion through his black hair just as she had hundreds of times before. her skilled fingers picked out twigs and debris as she went. 

While Indara washed Alex’s hair, he scrubbed his face and body. With some difficulty, he was able to keep his wings out of the cold water. He hoped he didn’t miss any obvious dirt, but he didn’t have time to be more thorough. 

Once he was as clean as he could be in the time allowed, Alex rinsed all the soap off and climbed out of the bath. He fanned his wings, trying to dry himself faster, even though the chill air moving over the cold water made his skin prickle.

Indara handed him a towel, and he rubbed himself vigorously. “Can you comb and braid my hair?” Alex asked her.

“This one is no longer assigned to the care of my Lord Alexiel, and has already done too much.” Indara bowed to him and slid her hood back over her head. 

Of course. It would be obvious she had helped if Alex showed up clean, combed, and braided. He would try if he had another minute to spare after dressing, but if he couldn’t, then he would just show up for dinner with messy hair. Alex hurried to Gabriel’s closet and grabbed the two nearest things he could reach from the clothes Gabriel had outgrown. 

The outfit was still too big on Alex, but he didn’t have time to change again. He yanked the lacing on the pants tight enough that they would stay on his hips, and wrapped the tie on the shirt around his waist once more, then hurried from the room. 

When he passed by where Gabriel lay, he heard his brother wake. “Alex? You’re home already?” Gabriel asked sleepily.

Alex paused, but he couldn’t waste time talking. “I have to go. Father is waiting for me to join him for dinner.”

Gabriel sat up, the book tumbling onto the floor. “Fath- Ow!” He stopped, clenching his jaw and closing his eyes as he tried to manage the sudden pain. “Jequn is home?” Gabriel asked carefully, his voice strained.

“Yes, and I have to go, or he’s going to be mad. I’m sorry, Brother.” Alex gave him a quick bow and took off running down the hall. 

“Alex! Stop!” Gabriel shouted after him, but he didn’t listen. He couldn’t have much time left.

Using his wings to propel him, Alex shot out of Gabriel’s chambers, through the hall, and down the stairs. He reached the dining room and stopped, breathing hard. He looked at Jequn.

The Isten glanced at Alex from the corner of his eye, then resumed reading the blue tablet. “You’re cutting it close, Alexiel.”

“You’re not going to hurt him, are you?” 

“Not until he does something to deserve it.” He held his hand out to where Liliel should sit. “Join me.” Alex walked across the room and took his mother’s place. 

Jequn tapped the table, and a servant brought out a silver platter heaped with thinly sliced hot vegetables. They placed the platter before Jequn, then bowed and backed from the room. 

The food steamed, too hot for Alex to eat, but Jequn picked up a slice of squash. He chewed it as he turned to Alex and announced, “My journey to Lemuria was successful. The heir of Valoel is as insolent as my own, but I will have a new stag in the sixth wind, among the others I’ve been meaning to acquire.”

“A new stag?” Alex asked, his eyes widening. Another beast for the Isten to torture… 

The corner of Jequn’s mouth twitched. He ate more. “Alexiel, you should be pleased. All my requisitions are being hunted beyond the borders of E’din. I will not be forced to kill Gabriel in retaliation for your little tantrum. You know there are better ways to get my attention.”

Alex gulped. His wings quivered. “Would I really become your heir if he died?”

With a scoff, Jequn jeered, “Can you even imagine? My heir, a bastard whore.” He ate another bite, glaring at Alex. “No. He dies, and as far as the Dengir are concerned, you’ll die with him. Your mother, too. I can’t trust her not to give me bastards for as long as she lives.” 

That’s what Alex thought. He looked down, unable to meet the Isten’s intense gaze for long.

For a while, Jequn ate in silence. The food cooled off enough that Alex could begin eating. He cautiously took one piece of the squash from the platter. It was still hot, and he needed to use his nails to avoid burning his fingers. He popped it into his mouth and breathed in air over it to cool it off before he chewed.

Common dining protocol allowed for guests to eat any of the same type of food the host had already tried. They were old customs of propriety, but Alex had grown up knowing no different. Waiting wasn’t strange for him. Jequn often refused to eat a second type of food until after the first was completely gone. However, this time, Jequn had already moved on to the cubed radishes, leaving half the squash on the platter. The Isten was saving half the food for Alex, even if the boy ate slower.

“Your brother is recovering?” Jequn asked, almost with concern.

Alex glanced up. He finished chewing and swallowed his bite quickly. “Yes, Father.”

“That’s good. The sooner he leaves, the better.” Jequn ate a couple more bites, his eyes fixed on Alex. “You could stay with me, you know.”

“I’ll go back with Gabriel,” Alex replied. It was a defiant statement, one that would have gotten him hit before. A twitch at the corner of Jequn’s eye was the only thing that exposed his irritation.

“I suppose I cannot fault Gabriel completely,” Jequn said, his words crisp. His picked up a cubed radish and observed it thoughtfully. “He thinks he can keep you to himself by defying me, but he’ll learn.” The man’s eyes shifted back to Alex. “You’re an insatiable, greedy little slut, and he’s not going to be able to satisfy you. Not like I can.” He ate the radish.

The Isten’s eyes were too sharp, a hint of his dangerous mood coming through his otherwise cool exterior. Alex pulled his hand back before he could take another piece of food. He’d made Jequn angry. He squeezed his wings tight against his back. It hurt to breathe.

“So tell me, Alexiel, how many men have you offered yourself to at Archridge? Or are you still trying to find satisfaction with the grubby, pawing youth?”

“N-No, I haven’t-”

Jequn slapped his hand down on the table, the sharp sound making Alex jump. The boy’s heart beat a panicked rhythm in his chest. The Isten leaned forward and stared at him, eyes fierce. “You expect me to believe that? You, who can barely stand to be touched but for the wicked little desire that spreads across your skin. I know how depraved and broken you really are, Alexiel. You can’t hide from me.”

“Please,” Alex whimpered. He felt tears come to his eyes. “I’m not… I don’t…” 

The Isten bared his teeth, breathing out with a hiss of air. He slid his hand slowly off the table as he sat back. “I can see your brother isn’t taking care of you properly. He’s got you so twisted up with his misguided sense of morality, that you’re almost starting to believe it yourself, aren’t you? What are you going to do, Alexiel, when they find out what you really are? What you’ve done?”

Alex shook his head. He thought of his friends at the academy. He couldn’t stand the thought of them knowing. “I won’t say anything.”

“You won’t have to. The moment you let yourself get close to anyone, they’ll know. The only place you have where you’ll ever truly belong is here, with me.” 

Struggling not to cry, Alex tried to breathe through the pain in his chest. He felt like he had swallowed glass, and every beat of his heart was ripping him further apart. He felt the black energy within him swell, anxious and destructive, spreading down his arms. He couldn’t control it. He couldn’t control anything.

“Leave him alone,” growled a furious voice from the stairway. Jequn’s blue eyes focused over Alex’s shoulder.

Mouth twisting into a cruel smile, Jequn said, “Gabriel. My son. It is a pleasure to see you out of bed.”

Alex turned as Gabriel reached the bottom of the stairs. He was gripping the wall as if it was the only thing that kept him standing. The way Gabriel’s wings shook, Alex quickly realized the wall actually was the only thing that kept him standing. He shouldn’t be walking yet. He shouldn’t even be out of bed.

“You have no right to interfere with Alexiel,” Gabriel snapped. “How dare you force him to dine with you.” 

“Bold words from a puffed up boy who can barely stand,” Jequn mused. He stood up. “ _Forced_ would imply I didn’t give him a choice. I did. He chose to come down here.” His silver coils clicked as he strode across the room toward Gabriel. “He’ll always choose me in the end, Gabriel. No matter what you do to keep us apart, he’ll come back to me.”

“You’re delusional,” Gabriel sneered. He glared balefully up at Jequn as the Isten stopped before him. 

If Jequn wanted to hurt Gabriel now, there was no way for the boy to escape him. Alex watched in trepidation, though his brother showed no fear. Gabriel didn’t move as Jequn reached out, looping some of his son’s hair around his fingers. 

As the silver strands slowly slid from his hand, Jequn quietly said, “I think I’m done with dinner tonight. Enjoy the rest of the meal.”

Then, Jequn walked up the stairs, his heavy footfall taking him into his chambers. Once he was gone, Alex felt the destructive energy within him finally fade. It left him trembling, barely able to stand, but he hurried over to Gabriel to help. “Brother, you shouldn’t be-” 

Gabriel shoved him back, then winced. He turned toward the wall as his face contorted with pain. He pressed both hands against the wood while he tried to take slow, even breaths. “Damn it, Alex,” Gabriel hissed. “Why can’t you ever just fucking listen to me?”

Alex kept his distance, shifting uneasily from foot to foot. “He said if I didn’t come eat dinner with him he would-”

“I don’t care! I don’t care what he told you! He’s a liar and a manipulative asshole, and he’s trying to corrupt you.” Gabriel sharply turned his head so he could see Alex. “I can’t protect you if you’re willing to throw yourself at his feet every time he makes a threat.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you, Brother,” Alex whispered. 

“I really don’t care what you want, Alex. If you ever disobey me again, I’m going to beat the shit out of you. Do you understand me?”

“Y-Yes, Brother,” Alex replied. 

“Good. Now, help me get over to the table. I don’t think I can support myself without a wall.” 

Obediently, Alex stepped up and slid his arm around Gabriel’s waist. His brother’s weight settled on him as Gabriel draped his arm over his shoulders. He was lighter than Alex expected him to be, and the smaller boy had no problem supporting his weight as they moved over to the table. 

Carefully, Gabriel lowered himself onto the bench. Alex sat beside him. When Gabriel pulled the platter closer, they both began eating. The food was still warm. 

“How much did you hear?” Alex murmured after they’d eaten a few bites.

“Enough,” Gabriel replied, his voice soft. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Do you hate me?”

“I could never hate you, Alex,” Gabriel answered. “Never. You make me mad sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I hate you.”

“I’ll try to be good.”

“Yeah, I know…” Gabriel sighed. “As soon as I can fly, we’re leaving here.” 

Even though he would miss Hadasha, Alex was looking forward to leaving. It was much too stressful being back home.


	97. Gabriel: 11th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

After yesterday, Gabriel was in no mood to deal with the servants. He had spent most the afternoon in the bath, floating or holding onto the edge while the servant told him to kick his legs behind him over and over. It had been difficult, and frustrating, and by the time Indara was done ordering him about, he was half tempted to throw her in the water and electrocute the whole bath. 

And then, after everything else he’d been through, while he was too damn exhausted to finish a single chapter of his book, Alex ran through the room. The boy barely paused to explain he was having dinner with Jequn, and then he was gone, ignoring Gabriel again.

No good could come of Jequn getting Alex alone. Gabriel didn’t want the man even looking at his little brother, let alone speaking to him. 

It had taken all of Gabriel’s strength and effort to get out of the bed on his own. He still couldn’t feel his toes, but he had managed to slowly, painfully, walk from his room. If the damn servants had been useful, they would have stepped in to help him, but they would do nothing to interfere with the Isten’s business, even if that meant letting the man abuse Alex.

Granted, after Jequn left the dining room, being able to sit and have a meal of something other than farina and honey almost made the walk worth it. Almost. 

The journey back up had been more difficult. All of Gabriel’s energy was used to get him down to the dining room to face Jequn, and he had to rely completely on Alex to help him walk back. Alex was patient and quiet. The boy stayed at his side every step of the way. 

By the time they returned to Gabriel’s bedroom, he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He flopped onto his back, ignoring the pain that radiated out from his hips and spine, and closed his eyes. 

Alex started to walk away, like he was going to go lay in the study again. Gabriel reached out and snagged his shirt. “Un-uh. Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, not releasing his little brother.

“I-I was going to sleep in the study tonight, so I don’t bother you,” answered Alex. 

“You’re not leaving my side again while we’re here. Come lay next to me.”

“But you’re hurt,” Alex protested.

“Yes, I’m hurt. And I’m tired. And the only way I’m going to be able to get any rest is if I know you’re not going to run off and do something else stupid, so don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Yes, Brother.” Alex climbed up onto the bed next to Gabriel and laid out, being careful not to touch him. Gabriel wrapped an arm around Alex, pulling him closer, and then quickly fell asleep with their shared warmth. 

When Gabriel woke in the morning, Alex was still there, sleeping peacefully. The little boy lay pressed against Gabriel’s side, fist clenched in his shirt like he’d been having bad dreams again. He probably had. Gabriel’s dreams hadn’t been too pleasant lately either.

The sun came in through the windows, and Gabriel realized it was late morning. The servants were probably waiting for him to wake up before they came in and harassed him more, so Gabriel pretended to be asleep. He listened to the birds in the jungle while he absentmindedly played with Alex’s black hair. 

The crack of Jequn’s wings as he took off reverberated through the manor, and Gabriel’s eyes shot open. Alex woke too, body immediately tensing. They both lay in bed, listening until the last rumblings of Jequn’s flight faded away.

Gabriel looked down at Alex as his brother’s black eyes turned up toward him. In order to avoid the servants, Gabriel suggested, “How about we spend today in the jungle?” Alex’s smile was almost bright enough to forgive him for last night.

***

By the time Alex and Gabriel made it to the clearing in the jungle, it was afternoon. Traveling was slow, but fortunately, they’d taken a basket of fruit with them. Walking made Gabriel kind of nauseous, but he used stopping to eat something as an excuse to give himself and Alex a break. His little brother still had to help him a lot, but Gabriel was determined to walk on his own as much as possible.

The stag Alex released was in the clearing when they arrived, and he balked as soon as he saw Gabriel’s silver hair. Alex rushed forward and calmed him. The little boy said soothing things to the beast, then walked him over to Gabriel.

“This is Gabriel. He’s a friend,” Alex said, introducing the two.

“Yeah, we’ve met,” Gabriel replied, holding out his hand. “I can’t believe you’re what all the trouble has been about.” The stag sniffed his palm as he’d done two years ago. The end of his nose was velvety soft. He snorted hot air into Gabriel’s face.

“Don’t be angry with him, Brother,” Alex said. He walked around the edge of the clearing, looking up. Probably looking for that fiend-taken pardua he considered his friend.

“I’m not angry with him.” Gabriel scratched at the short fur on the stag’s cheek. The beast closed his eyes and leaned into him. The antlers nearly dropped low enough to hit Gabriel’s head, but he ducked in time to avoid them. “What’s he still doing here, anyway? This close to the estate, someone is bound to find him.”

“I think he’s healing. It’s been a while since he was allowed outside his stall, and he needed to get stronger.”

“I can understand that,” Gabriel murmured, gazing up at the beast. After a soft bellow, the stag walked over to a matted patch of moss and lay down. He grunted and huffed a lot as he got comfortable. He looked at Gabriel with wide, expectant eyes. 

Alex glanced back. “Oh, he thinks you’re tired. I usually take a nap with him in the afternoon. You can lay with him.”

After the walk there, Gabriel wasn’t about to refuse a chance to nap. “He’s not going to stab me in my sleep, is he?” 

“Just don’t startle him.” That wasn’t reassuring. Alex flew up to a branch, staring out into the jungle. 

Gabriel nestled himself against the stag’s side, tucked behind the beast’s front leg. The stag curled around him, laying his head down and narrowly missing clipping Gabriel’s face with a prong of one antler.

“Watch it,” Gabriel warned. The beast huffed at him, unimpressed.

Still, the stag was beautiful. He looked healthier out here in the wild, even if it had taken the flesh off Gabriel’s back as the cost of his freedom. He understood why Alex had saved him, but he also knew it wouldn’t make a difference. 

Jequn would always find another. That beast wouldn’t deserve it any more than this one, but it was to save the people of Ahn. His father felt the beast was important to the ascension.

Something Jequn had said days ago, when Gabriel first asked about the stag at dinner, came back to him. It wasn’t just that the stag was important to research. The Isten actually believed the stag was prophesied to be part of the cure. It hadn’t been an offhand comment. Gabriel realized Jequn meant an actual prophecy, and he wasn’t referring to any of the old prophecies that led the Isten from Ahn to Ter. He meant the new prophecy, the one Alex repeated days after coming to Archridge.

  


_So it comes, the savior,_  
_the stag who bleeds for the hallow_

  


Gabriel stared at the beast surrounding him. Could this simple beast really be part of a prophecy? Could there be something so important about him that he could provide a cure for the people of Ahn? 

It was absurd. Prophecies were never so straightforward. He dismissed the thought completely.

Only…

Now that the idea was there, it wouldn’t go away. If the Isten believed the stag was key to saving the people of Ahn, there might be more in the prophecy Gabriel could decipher. With that new knowledge, he pulled the prophesy into his mind, revisiting it and breaking it apart as he lay in the fur of the stag.

  


_The fate of the faded rests_  
_alone on the crushing shores_  
_Count your sands, Dengir, fall upon us_  
_Beckon through the void_

  


The ‘faded’ would be the people of Ahn. People who were living on a planet that was slowly but surely dying. The ‘crushing shores’ would then be Ter, a planet ruled by tides. The Dengir were the Isten who had been selected to come to Ter, and their sands, the serum. 

This was a passage of the past. A request for what was needed. Ahn was dying, and they were desperate.

  


_So it comes, the savior,_  
_the stag who bleeds for the hallow_  
_A vessel rewritten makes shattered bone bonds_  
_Haste alone will repair our doom_

  


It felt wrong that the stag was just a stag. Prophecies were never so direct. Gabriel feared that in their desperation, the Isten had misinterpreted the information. Maybe not all the Isten, but Jequn certainly believed it. 

But if it wasn’t a stag, what could it be? A symbol of something. The savior. The stag who bleeds for the hallow…

What was the hallow? Something holy, on par with the Isten, or something done for the sake of Ahn? A valiant deed or selfless act.

_Holloway._

Gabriel blinked, the word coming unbidden to his mind. No. They sounded similar, but that was absurd. That ‘hallow’ referenced something pure and good, not a poison like Holloway. It would be something worth sacrificing for, something like… 

Something like Alex.

The thought struck Gabriel with the force of one of Jequn’s blows. It left him breathless, eyes open, staring up at the small boy in the tree who casually danced across the branches, waiting for his pardua. 

It was impossible. It couldn’t be true.

But if it was…

If it was, then that meant the savior in the prophecy, the stag who had never been a stag, was Gabriel. 

The prophecy was about him.

He felt dazed, watching Alex dance among the dappled spots of sunlight, fading in and out of sight as he hopped between the branches. 

If the second passage of the prophecy was about the present, about what needed to be done to save the people of Ahn, then the third passage…

  


_From the sky we shall fall_  
_Upon the green stone as one_  
_A brilliant retribution sought_  
_Will turn rust into water_

  


Gabriel swallowed hard. The third passage was about the future, and what would happen should he fail. 

Alex suddenly shrieked in surprise, and it took Gabriel a second to realize it was a happy sound, as Hadasha and the boy tumbled out of the trees. The tawny, spotted pardua was just as enormous as Gabriel remembered her. She wrestled with Alex, tossing him around like a leaf as he laughed. 

When they finally tired of their game, Hadasha padded over to inspect where Gabriel lay against the stag. She sniffed him repeatedly, practically smothering him in the stag’s fur. The stag barely acknowledged her approach, only flicking his ear once, like he was being bothered by a fly.

“Good to see you too, Hadasha,” Gabriel said after the big beast licked his face. He finally pushed her back, and she padded back over to Alex. 

The way Alex smiled and pressed himself into her fur almost made Gabriel believe everything that had happened this month was worth the trip home. It wasn’t, of course. No beast was worth the risk to their lives, and as far as Gabriel was concerned, there were never returning home again, no matter what Jequn demanded.

It was kind of sad watching Alex play and talk with Hadasha, because for a happy as the boy was with the pardua, Gabriel knew he would probably never see her again. They stayed late, because Gabriel wanted to give Alex enough time to say goodbye one last time. 

***

The sun was in the final quarter of the sky when Gabriel insisted it was time to go. He told Alex the stag needed to leave the clearing, too.

“Why?” Alex asked. 

“Because it’s not safe here, and we’re going back to the academy in the morning.”

“We are?” 

“Yes, Alex. Now, send him away.” Gabriel stood off to the side, leaning against the log to support himself. He was feeling better, stronger after being outside with the beasts, but his body still hurt. Fluttering his wings ached all through his back, but he could fly without collapsing from the pain. 

At least he hoped he could. The distance they had to cover would be difficult. They might have to spend a night at an inn, but at least they would be away from Jequn.

“He doesn’t want to go,” Alex said as he walked back to Gabriel. Hadasha followed, prowling behind Alex without making a sound. It was strange to think a beast that big could be that quiet.

“He has to. If he stays around here, Jequn’s servants will find him. Do you want him to be captured?” 

“No,” the little boy muttered. “But I don’t think he understands.”

“Sometimes we have to do things to help even when the other doesn’t understand we’re helping. If the stag doesn’t get it, ask Hadasha.”

The pardua looked at Gabriel, quirking her head as he said her name. She gave him a low, questioning chirp.

“Yes, you,” Gabriel replied. “Chase him out of the jungle. Get him somewhere safe, beyond Jequn’s reach.” If there was such a place. 

Alex looked up at her. “Will you help?” She grumbled and walked away, her tail lashing back and forth. Alex frowned. “I don’t think she wants to help.”

“See if you can make her understand. And Alex… You may not see Hadasha for a while after we go back to the academy. Say goodbye to her now.” Gabriel couldn’t meet Alex’s eye when he said the last part. He knew his little brother might never see the pardua again, but he couldn’t tell him that. Alex was too emotional and unpredictable. He might decide never to leave. It was better to keep it hidden from him.

“Yes, Brother.” Alex followed the pardua, talking to her softly. 

The shadows in the jungle grew longer, casting a gloom over the overgrowth that would be difficult to walk through if they waited much more. Gabriel was about to suggest they just leave the stag to his fate, when Hadasha let out a guttural roar that Gabriel could feel in his chest. 

The stag’s eyes widened as instinct took over, and he bounded off into the jungle, a flash of pale fur heading further away from the Isten Jequn’s estate. Hadasha rubbed herself against Alex one more time, then loped after the stag, doing her part to keep him moving. 

When Alex returned to Gabriel, he was wiping tears from his eyes. Gabriel hated to see him cry. He pulled him close, hugging the boy while he sniffled. 

“You did the right thing. He’ll be safer the further he gets from Jequn.”

“Are you sure?”

“No, but beasts don’t live like we do. Their lives are short and their deaths are tragic. That’s just the way things are.” He meant the words as a comfort, but they didn’t come out that way. 

Alex sniffled a couple more times, then stepped back from him. “We should go home before Father returns.” 

“Yeah, we should.” They began their slow journey back to the estate.

***

They had nearly reached the valley when they heard the rumbling flight of the Isten Jequn. 

“We could run,” Alex suggested.

“You go on ahead,” Gabriel said. “I can’t move that fast.”

“I’m not going to leave your side, Brother.” When Gabriel glared at him, Alex held up his hands. “You told me not to.” 

He had said that. It was kind of annoying to have his words thrown back at him like that, though. “If I tell you to go, you go, Alex.”

Alex bit his lip. “Are you telling me to go?” he asked timidly.

Gabriel sighed. “No. I’m not. We’re almost there. We might make it before Jequn anyway.” They continued on.

As they walked into the valley, Jequn landed, dropping from the sky with a triple-beat crack of his wings. Dust billowed up around him, which he fanned away casually with his lowest set of wings.

The Isten looked toward the manor, then he turned, seeing the boys emerge from the jungle. His eyes narrowed and he started toward them on heavy black boots.

It struck Gabriel that he had never seen his father walk anywhere without first folding his wings. Any Isten, for that matter. Sure, when they flew, all their wings were spread, but they moved so fast in the air, it was difficult to observe.

The sight of the Isten stalking across the field, six wings held open behind him, radiant and white, was entirely unnerving. Suddenly, all those old stories from Ahn about an Isten arriving on a battlefield to decimate an entire army didn’t seem so absurd. Jequn moved with a light, predatory gait that seemed entirely too smooth and unnatural for the weight and spread of his wings.

“He’s mad,” Alex whispered, trembling.

“I can see that, Alex,” Gabriel muttered under his breath. He raised his head high, waiting for the Isten to reach them. There was no point trying to run.

“Yet still, you disrespect me and my rules,” Jequn snapped, stopping before Gabriel. He glared down at both boys. “What were you doing in the jungle?”

“Walking,” replied Gabriel. 

“Walking,” Jequn repeated through clenched teeth. “The jungle is off limits. You have never been allowed there.” 

“You let Alexiel go all the time.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Jequn lashed out, grabbing Gabriel by the throat. The Isten lifted him from the ground until their faces were even. “And would you like to know what I’ve done to Alexiel for his disobedience in the past?” the man asked menacingly.

Gabriel held on to his father’s wrist, trying to alleviate some of the pressure on his neck. “N-No,” he gasped. “No, sir.”

“I didn’t think so.” His grip tightened, bruising Gabriel’s neck.

“Please, stop,” Alex begged. “Forgive us.”

Jequn glanced down at Alex. “Forgiveness is earned, Alexiel.” He was irritated, but he dropped Gabriel.

The silver-haired boy crumpled when he hit the ground. Spasms of pain shot through his body. Gabriel fought back tears as he glared up at Jequn. Alex crouched beside him, lightly touching his arm with trembling fingers. Gabriel focused on his little brother’s touch, rather than the pain pulsing through his back and hips. 

“Give me one reason not to beat you unconscious right now,” said Jequn. 

“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Gabriel replied through clenched teeth. “Sir.”

“Are you?” Jequn tilted his head. “You’re well enough to fly?”

“I’ll walk if I have to.”

Jequn smirked. “I suppose I should be grateful for such small favors. The sooner you leave, the less likely I will have to explain the embarrassment of having my sons torn apart by savage beasts in the jungle.” He looked at Alex. “Though you are still welcome to stay with me, Alexiel. We can continue your education.”

Before Alex could say anything, Gabriel snapped, “Don’t talk to him.”

“Excuse me?” Jequn said, offended.

“You heard me.” Painfully, Gabriel pushed himself to his feet. Alex helped, holding his arm when he started to sway. “You’re going to leave Alexiel alone.”

With cold eyes, Jequn observed Gabriel. “How dare you think you can give me orders. I should kill you now.”

“But you won’t.” Gabriel stood up straight, spreading his wings to keep his balance. “Alexiel, go inside. I need to talk to Father alone.”

“Do you?” Jequn’s eyebrow raised with curiosity.

Alex remained beside Gabriel, wings quivering. “But-” He stopped as Gabriel shot him a sharp look. Alex pouted. “Yes, Brother.” He skirted wide around the Isten, and walked toward the manor, glancing back over his shoulder every once in awhile. Gabriel had no doubt Alex would probably watch from an archway, but he was far enough away that he wouldn’t be able to hear what they said.

“What is so important that you need to talk to me at a time when you deserve nothing more than a whipping to remind you of your place?”

“Threaten me, beat me, do what you want. It won’t change anything. The truth is, you need me.”

“What?” The feathers of Jequn’s spread wings made a rattling sound, like the warning of a quilled snake before its attack. “Insolent little-”

“You haven’t figured out the serum yet, have you?” Gabriel asked. He met his father’s gaze.

Glowering, Jequn said, “I would be closer if I hadn’t just lost five years of research due to your brother.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. You’re still missing something.”

“What do you know?” chided Jequn.

“Nothing yet,” Gabriel admitted. “But I’ll learn.” He stood up straight and proud, wings open behind him. “You need an heir, someone to share your knowledge with, to help you figure out the solution to Ahn’s problems and bring about the ascension. You can’t do it alone.”

Jequn stepped closer, challenging Gabriel’s pride. He reached out, gently touching Gabriel’s hair and tucking it behind his ear before letting his fingers trail along Gabriel’s jawline. “It doesn’t have to be you,” he whispered. “You’re not important. You’re not special. There is nothing about you I couldn’t replace in a heartbeat.” His hand slid lower, spreading over the bruises already forming on Gabriel’s neck. “I could snap your neck now, dispose of this miserable little family, and start over. I could have a new heir ready to serve me within a century.”

Gabriel remained very still as his father’s fingers lightly curled around his neck. He kept his chin up, trying to hide the fear that filled him. “You’ve already wasted too much time, Father,” he said boldly. “Do you really think the Dengir will tolerate another delay?”

“Accidents happen.”

“There are no accidents,” Gabriel said, voice hard. “You taught me that.” 

“So I did.” Jequn lowered his hand, to Gabriel’s relief. “It’s too bad you haven’t learned anything else I’ve tried to teach you.”

“I’ve got five-and-a-half years left at the academy,” Gabriel said, looking away. “After that, I’m yours. I’m your heir. Teach me whatever you want. However-”

“Oh, there are conditions, are there?” Jequn asked mockingly. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at his son. 

Clenching his jaw, trying to repress his anger, Gabriel said, “ _However_ , you will never see Alex again. I will not return with him during any of the holidays, no matter what you threaten to do to me.”

“ _Alexiel_. His name is Alexiel. And you cannot keep him from me. He’s mine.”

Gabriel looked up, his blue eyes a cold reflection of Jequn’s own. “You’re wrong. He’s mine now. _I bleed for him_. He belongs to me.”

Jequn paused, coils of silver hair clicking together as he tilted his head. The familiarity of the words caught the Isten by surprise. “What did you say?”

“I bleed for him. He’s mine,” Gabriel repeated. He couldn’t tell if Jequn recognized where the words came from, but it didn’t matter. The Isten would figure it out eventually.

“Are you challenging me?” Jequn asked.

“Of course not. I’m your heir,” Gabriel stated. “Everything you own will become mine eventually. I’m just claiming a small part of that sooner, rather than later. Consider it a small price to pay for my continued obedience.”

“You think you’re so clever,” Jequn admonished with a snarl. “You will tire of him eventually.”

“I doubt that.” Gabriel ran his hand through his hair, freeing it from the way Jequn had it tucked behind his ear. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Father, I should get some rest. I’ve got a long flight tomorrow.”

“This changes nothing between us, Gabriel,” the Isten snapped. “Your brother’s pain seems to be the only thing that keeps you motivated. Whatever claim you place on him, know that I will always find a way to hurt him if you fail.”

Dismissively, Gabriel said, “Yeah. I know.” He walked past his father and to the manor. He didn’t look back as he stepped up onto the porch and pushed through the veil covering the archway. Jequn didn’t follow.

Alex stood within, black eyes wide, trembling with concern. “Are you okay?”

“Come on, Alex. Let’s grab some food and go get some rest. We’re leaving early tomorrow morning,” Gabriel said. He smiled at his little brother and patted his head, stroking the little boy’s silky black hair. Gabriel would take care of him. He didn’t feel it was necessary for Alex to know about any of his agreements with Jequn, though. 

It was better that way. 

Safer.

This would all work out for the best in the end.


	98. Remiel: 13th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Middle of the Harvest, we return to life at the academy...

Leaning against the wall by the hospital staff exit, Remiel waited for Sophie to be done with her shift. A bundle of food sat on the ground beside him. It was nothing special, just rice balls and vegetables he had taken from the academy kitchen, but Sophie had been at the hospital since early that morning. If he knew her, she probably hadn’t stopped to eat at all.

“Hey, pretty boy,” came a deep voice. Remiel looked up. It was one of Sophie’s coworkers. His name was Tzakquiel, but everyone just called him Zak. He was a healer-in-training, like Sophie, but almost a decade older than them. His dusky brown skin made his smile always appear bright, and he was always smiling.

Today, Zak had his black hair tied back in a poof at the back of his head. When freed, tiny ringlets surrounded his face in a wild mane that looked perfect, no matter how he shook it out. His hair made Remiel’s loose, brown curls seem tame and boring by comparison. 

Remiel definitely wasn’t jealous.

Maybe.

“Hey, Zak,” Remiel replied with a smile. 

Sophie came out the door right behind the other healer. “Zak, don’t tease Remi.” 

“I’m not,” Zak said with a laugh. “I’m teasing you. You couldn’t stop talking about him all day.”

“I did not.” Sophie’s cheeks reddened.

“‘My boyfriend is such a pretty boy,’” Zak said, making his voice higher. “‘I have such a pretty boy waiting for me after my shift. My pretty boyfriend is going to bring me dinner.’”

“I do not sound like that!” Sophie exclaimed, smacking Zak’s arm. Her cheeks were bright red.

Zak grinned at Remiel. “She totally does. She talked about you to any conscious patient we treated. So much so, I had to come see if you’d actually be here.”

“Of course I’m here,” said Remiel. He flung his hair back from his face dramatically. “I’m too pretty to be anywhere else.”

Zak laughed and Sophie groaned, embarrassed. “You two are such jerks!” she said.

Grinning, Remiel picked up the bundle of food. “You ready to go?”

“Actually…” said Sophie.

Remiel’s wings drooped. “You’re taking another shift.” 

“I was gone the whole first week of Harvest when we visited my parents. They need the help, and I feel like I’ve fallen behind. It’s okay, isn’t it?” Sophie asked. 

It wasn’t like Remiel was going to tell her no, she couldn’t save lives. “It’s fine. Will you at least eat with me before you go back?”

“Of course, Remi,” she replied, smiling sweetly at him.

“That academy food?” Zak asked, pointing at the bundle in Remiel’s hand.

“Y-Yeah, it’s, um, all I can afford this month,” Remiel admitted. Free meals were all he could afford most months.

“That stuff lasts for days,” said Zak. “Hey, Zoph, why don’t you save that for one of our breaks later. You get so grumpy when you’re hungry.” He poked her belly a couple times.

“I do not!” She batted his hands away. “Poke me again, and I’ll break your finger.”

“Oh, see? You’re grumpy now.” He dodged when she swiped at him. Zak laughed. “Let’s all go have dinner in town together. My treat.”

Remiel tensed. “I couldn’t possibly-”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rem. Your food isn’t going to go to waste. Plus, then I don’t have to eat dinner by myself.” Zak started backing down the walkway, beckoning them toward him playfully. “Come on. You know you want to.” 

Sophie gave Remiel a little smirk. “He did offer, Remi.” 

“I can’t pay him back.”

“Then I guess you’ll be indebted to him forever.” She snatched the bundle from Remiel’s hand and pushed him toward Zak. “You two go ahead. I’m going to put this in my locker, then I’ll catch up.”

“We’re going to Ku-Bao’s,” Zak called back to her before she went inside. “We’ll get a table.” 

Remiel walked up to Zak, feeling embarrassed as the older boy grinned at him. “You don’t have to feel obligated to invite me along,” he told him. “Sophie would join you anyway.”

“And leave her pretty boy to fly back to the academy alone? Never.” Zak spun, so he was walking beside Remiel as they reached the street. “I remember being stuck in the academy all the time, eating the same bland food day after day. It nearly drove me insane. If I can save you from even one terrible meal, I have to try.” Very dramatically, he put his hand over his heart and said, “It’s my duty, as a healer, to save as many as I can from suffering.”

Remiel grinned. “Well, thanks, then. For saving me.” 

“No problem.” Zak bumped his shoulder against Remiel’s. “Though Soph was right. You’re going to be indebted to me forever.”

With a surprised laugh, Remiel asked, “What? You’re kidding.”

“I’m totally serious. Next time you bring Soph food, I expect one of those little peach buns- you know the ones I’m talking about, with the whipped jam in the middle? I can’t find them anywhere in Marut, but I know the academy still serves them. It was the only thing they made that I miss. Bring me one of those any time you can, and I’ll buy you dinner any day.”

“I guess that’s fair,” Remiel said. 

“More than fair, Rem. Those peach buns are the best.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever tried one.”

“Nev-! Never tried one?!” Zak brought his fingers up to his mouth. “The soft dough, steamed, filled with a peach and honey jam, whipped to a froth, that when you bite into it, it just gushes into your mouth-” He kissed his fingertips. “Perfection.”

Remiel found himself smiling at he watched Zak’s performance. “They’re that good?” 

“You don’t even know. If I had any time to cook, I’d learn how to make them.”

“Healing must keep you pretty busy, too.”

“It’s endless. I don’t know how Zoph manages to do it while still taking classes.”

“Special circumstances. She’s the best.”

“She really is. We healed a man who fell on his pitchfork today. Like, he came in with it still sticking out of his chest. I got it pulled out, and she had the wounds sealed before I even figured out where to put the thing. And all the while, she was laughing and talking to him about his family, keeping him calm.” 

“I guess she’s had a lot of experience keeping people calm while healing them,” Remiel said. 

“She said something like that, too, like it was no big deal,” said Zak, a little disapproving. “You guys need to understand, though. This is a postgraduate internship that took me five years to get into. I had to understudy with a ancient midwife who used to tell me beer would make my healing energy stronger. Though, I think she was just trying to get me drunk to take advantage of me.”

Remiel laughed. “Did it work?”

“She wasn’t my type.”

“What is your type?” Remiel asked, since it seemed appropriate.

“I try to keep my options to people under three-hundred,” Zak joked. “Pretty girls.” He glanced at Remiel. “Pretty boys.” 

Remiel blinked. Was Zak flirting with him? No way. That was crazy. He knew Remiel was with Sophie. 

With a nervous chuckle, Remiel said, “So, you’re taking another shift at the hospital tonight, too?”

“Yeah. Mainly I stay to make sure Zoph doesn’t work herself to exhaustion. She does no one any good if she’s passed out in a backroom.”

Remiel nodded. He knew Sophie had a tendency to push herself too hard. She felt like she had to save everyone. 

Zak grabbed Remiel’s bicep, stopping him as he leaned in and pointed up the street. “Ah, there’s Ku-Bao’s, up around that corner.” 

Remiel saw the restaurant, peeking out from a side street up ahead. “I see it,” he said, a little distracted by the fact that Zak smelled like warm honey and almonds. He glanced at him, and Zak turned, giving him a wide grin. Up close, Remiel noticed Zak had amber waves of color woven through his dark brown eyes. 

“Ready to eat?” Zak asked.

“Y-Yeah.” It wasn’t the most eloquent thing Remiel had ever said, but words were very difficult right then. What was wrong with him?

Zak let go and patted Remiel’s shoulder. “I eat here a lot. Zoph and I came yesterday for lunch. Any of the food is good, so order whatever you want.” He continued on, and Remiel resumed walking with him.

They entered the restaurant, which had a mix of tables with chairs and tables with benches. Most the tables were occupied by Homm, all appearing to be from the Ganbik-Ku clan from the south.

A waiter greeted Zak by name and offered them a seat close to the kitchen. It smelled great in there.

They sat, Zak taking one side, and Remiel the other. Remiel left space on the bench beside him for Sophie. Zak pointed to the menu hung along the top of the wall. There were wooden tags with the names of the dishes and their prices hung on nails. “That section is meals, that section is appetizers,” explained Zak. “What do you like to eat?”

“I’m not picky,” Remiel said. Food was food.

“Do you mind if I suggest something then?” Zak asked. 

“Go ahead.”

“That one there, the Akrani-Pear platter.” He pointed to one of the wooden tags with the higher price on it. “I know it sounds sweet, but they soak it in this vinaigrette and it really pulls all the flavors together. You’ll love it.”

“Sure. It sounds interesting,” said Remiel. “But are you sure you’re okay buying us dinner like this?”

“Listen, Rem, it’s my treat. I’m just happy I’m not eating alone.” Zak smiled. “But don’t forget about my peach buns.”

“I promise, I won’t,” Remiel said, smiling back at him. 

There was a weird aura around Zak, something Remiel found himself drawn to. Even before, during a party, when Remiel first met Sophie’s class of healers, Zak had been the only one to go out of his way to make sure Remiel was included in the conversation. He always made Remiel feel comfortable.

Remiel realized that Zak was the type of boy he would have developed a crush on, if he weren’t already deeply in love with Sophie.

The door to the restaurant opened, and Sophie entered. She was out of breath, her fiery curls escaping the ribbon she had tried to restrain them with. She bounded over and slid onto the bench next to Remiel, giving his arm a quick squeeze. “You order yet?”

“Not yet. Zak says I should try the Akrani-Pear platter,” said Remiel.

Sophie made a face. “That one again?” 

“It’s good, Zoph,” the older healer replied. “Authentic cuisine from the Ganbik region.”

“You’re such a food snob for someone who doesn’t cook,” Sophie said with a laugh.

Zak grinned. “Homm make the best food. They’re more adventurous with their palettes, because their lives move so much quicker. Most Terran I know would be happy eating bland rice and roots for the rest of their days. And don’t get me started on Ahnnak-”

“Oh-” Sophie made a little sound of protest.

“Ahnnak are the worst,” Zak continued enthusiastically. “When it comes to food, they’d have us eating raw fruit every day, as if we all want to graze like beasts. Like, I don’t care if on your granddad’s planet fruit were a rare delicacy, just add some damned seasoning, you know?” 

Sophie had her hands cupped over her mouth and nose. She parted them and whispered, “He’s an Ahnnak.”

Perplexed, Zak said, “Who?”

“I am,” Remiel said with a sigh. He looked at Sophie. “You didn’t tell him?”

“I didn’t tell anyone,” she said. “I was afraid they would think I had used you to get into the internship.”

“Whoa, seriously?” Zak said. “Man, Rem, no offense. I didn’t know. I mean, looking at you, I never would have suspected, not with your-” He motioned to his ears, and then glanced at Remiel’s chest. 

The piercings.

“You told him I pierced my nipples, but you didn’t think to mention I wasn’t Terran?” Remiel asked his girlfriend. 

“It didn’t come up! It’s not like you ever really talk about it, and you don’t have a great relationship with your grandfather or your Isten. I thought it would be easier if I didn’t mention it.”

Remiel shook his head. “I didn’t realize me being an Ahnnak bothered you.” 

“It doesn’t… usually.” She looked down at the table. “I just wanted to fit in with the other healers. They already think I’m getting preferential treatment because I’m so young.”

The waiter chose that moment to approach the table, smiling wide. “What can I get for you all?”

“Tea for the table,” Zak said. “I’ll have the special. Rem, do you still want to try the Akrani-Pear platter?”

“That’s fine,” Remiel said, giving the waiter a tight smile.

“My favorite,” the waiter said, then turned to Sophie. “And you, ma’am?”

“Could I have the seared melon wrap?”

“Of course. Will that be all?”

“Yes, thank you,” Zak said, and the waiter walked to the kitchen to place the order. The older healer focused on the two seventeen year old academy students across from him. “Listen, I didn’t mean to start a fight or anything. I’m sorry about what I said.” 

“It’s not your fault,” said Sophie. “You didn’t know. I should have said something before.”

“No, you were right to hide it,” Remiel said, though he was still annoyed. He didn’t know why it bothered him. “You dating an Ahnnak isn’t going to help any of them take you seriously. It doesn’t matter that I can’t actually do anything to help you. They’ll still think I can, and you don’t need that following you around.”

“Well, I can keep a secret,” Zak said. “No one else needs to find out.”

Sophie shook her head. “It’s not fair to ask either of you to lie for me.”

Zak leaned forward. “It’s not fair that people won’t recognize your abilities if they think an Isten bribed your way into the group,” he said. “I know you’re awesome, Zoph. I know you’re here because you’re better than everyone else in our class.”

Cheeks turning pink, Sophie said, “I’m not, though.”

“You are. I’ve never known anyone like you before.” Zak smiled at her, and their eyes met. Something passed between them. Remiel had to stop and wonder again, was Zak flirting? The way Sophie blushed, he could have been, but that was absurd. Remiel was right there. No one was that bold.

A clay pot of hot tea was placed on the table between them, disrupting Zak and Sophie’s eye contact. The waiter sat three small clay cups around it, then poured the first round. “Your food will be out soon,” he said, then went to another table to take care of a group that had finished their meal. 

Sophie took her tea in her hands, and stared down at it thoughtfully. Zak took a small sip of his, but it was clear it was too hot to drink fast. Remiel just stared at Sophie. 

“Me being an Ahnnak hasn’t helped my life at all, but it shouldn’t hinder yours,” he said solemnly. “I love you too much.”

Sophie smiled over at him and took his hand, entwining their fingers together. Her palm was hot from being pressed against the teacup. “Aw, Remi, I love you too.” She leaned in and kissed him lightly.

Grinning, Zak said, “You two are the cutest.”

“Don’t be mean, Zak,” said Sophie. She pulled away from Remiel and went back to holding her tea. “You’ve got to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t, but on one condition.”

“What’s that?” Sophie asked skeptically.

“I get to see Rem’s nipple piercings.”

“Zak!” 

The Terran laughed. “I’m kidding, Zoph. Relax. I just want to ask some questions. I’ve never had a chance to talk with an Ahnnak before.” He looked at Remiel, giving him a friendly smile. “If that’s okay with you.”

“I reserve the right to refuse to answer,” Remiel replied. “Otherwise, ask whatever you want.”

With a grin, Zak said, “You’re awesome, Rem. Okay, first question-”

“You’re asking him _now_!?” Sophie hissed, looking around the room. 

“I’m not going to ask him to reveal the secrets of the Isten,” Zak said, rolling his eyes. “You keep acting this paranoid and you’re not going to be able to keep any secrets.”

Sophie pouted, sticking her lip out in that cute way she picked up from Alex. “It’s easier to keep a secret if no one knows or talks about it.”

Though she was right, Remiel asked, “What do you want to know?”

Zak grinned, moving his gaze from Sophie to Remiel. “What do you do for fun?”

Remiel’s brow furrowed, confused. “As an Ahnnak?”

“No, just you.”

“Nothing, really,” said Remiel. 

“I can’t believe that,” replied Zak. “Zoph told me your job is to watch over little kids at the academy, but what do you do when you’re not taking care of them?”

“It’s just one, really. Alex. And I don’t get a lot of free time.”

“You’ve got free time now,” the older boy pointed out. 

Sophie said, “That’s because Alex isn’t back yet. He and his brother were only supposed to be gone for a week, which was why we returned from my parents’ place on the ninth, so we could be here when they got back.”

“I can’t stay away from the academy too long, because they could be back at any time,” said Remiel. 

Wrinkling his nose, Zak asked, “So you just have to sit around and wait? That’s not fair.”

“I don’t mind.”

“You can’t spend all your time taking care of some kid, Rem. What else do you do? What do you _like_ doing?”

“I like designing textiles and clothes,” he said. “Fashion.”

“Ah,” Zak said, as if everything suddenly made sense. “Is that why you did all that?” He motioned to Remiel’s ears again.

Remiel tucked his brown, curly hair behind his ears, making the gold rings more visible. “Sort of.”

“He just likes poking holes through his body intentionally,” grumbled Sophie. She reached up and brushed her fingers along the rings in his earlobe, pushing them all up. 

“It’s not going to kill me,” Remiel replied. He ran his thumb along the rings, pushing them all back down.

“How does it not heal?” asked Zak. “Especially with Zoph around. I mean, I assume you two have been intimate-”

“Zak!” Sophie exclaimed.

“I’m making a legitimate point, Zoph. Sometimes, waves of energy can be released during coitus that are uncontrollable. I’ve done it. I’m sure you’ve both done it. Sometimes it happens.”

“I haven’t done it,” said Remiel.

Zak’s eyebrows raised. “Sex, or the energy release?”

“Remi is too uptight to accidentally release energy,” Sophie stated, her cheeks red.

Looking at his girlfriend, Remiel asked, “You think I’m uptight?”

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that,” said Zak, coming to Sophie’s defense.

“No, of course not,” added Sophie. “I mean, you’ve just got amazing control, Remi. In and out of bed. I can’t really say the same for myself.”

“You’re being modest, Zoph,” said Zak, and the two of them exchanged another one of those intimate moments of eye contact. Remiel frowned. What was he feeling here? Was this jealousy? Except he wasn’t sure about what. Was it because they were looking at each other like that, or because neither of them were looking at him like that?

Zak turned his attention back to Remiel. “So what do you do? Just pierce everything again after sex?” 

“No, it’s actually not a problem,” said Remiel. It was strange talking about something so personal, but it was because no one else ever seemed interested. Zak had asked, so Remiel told him. “All my rings and piercings are pure gold, and the metal is completely non-reactive to oxidation and most corrosion, so my body can’t heal over it or absorb it like iron or copper. Silver and platinum have similar non-reactive properties, but I don’t use them because they’re less complimentary to my skin tone.”

“Smart and pretty,” Zak said. He smiled at Sophie. “No wonder you’re so proud of him.”

Sophie scoffed, blushing again. “He’s not smart, he’s just vain. He likes the sparkle.”

Slightly annoyed, Remiel ran his hands through his hair, pulling it back in front of his ears. “Nothing wrong with a little sparkle, Sophie.”

The waiter returned with three plates of food, placing them before each of them with a flourish. “Enjoy your meal,” he said brightly.

“Thank you,” replied Zak, and for a few moments, everyone at the table quietly ate their food. 

There were odd green, spongy bits Remiel couldn’t identify on his plate, plus a fruit drizzled in a light oil that toned down its sweetness, but accentuated its flavor. Remiel ate the pieces with his fingers, sucking his thumb and forefinger clean after each bite.

Zak watched him for a bit, smiling. “What do you think?”

“It’s good,” Remiel said, still chewing some. “I don’t recognize it, though. What is it?”

“It’s cactus,” said Sophie, like it was something repellent.

Remiel paused, staring down at the plate. “Wait, like the plant with the spikes?”

“Yeah, kind of,” said Zak. “They take those off, of course. Ku-Bao’s imports it from his home region, and it takes about a week for them to get each shipment here.”

“I didn’t even know they were edible,” Remiel said. He ate another bite. It was different, but not terrible.

“That’s what I love about Homm food. They’re always trying new things and new flavors. They’re never boring. They’re going to take things no one ever thought about eating before, and find a way to make it delicious.” 

“I guess…” Remiel paused and thought about his words. He tried again. “I guess I feel the same way about Homm fashion. They’re the only ones who try to change and adapt. The world is faster for them. Different. I want to understand that.”

For a second, Zak’s smile seemed like it was aimed only at Remiel. It gave him a warm feeling, deep in his chest. “You should come by my place this weekend,” Zak said. He looked at Sophie. “Both of you. I’ve got an apartment on the south side of Marut. It’s not huge, but it’s my own. We could all hang out. Eat some Homm food and talk some more. Relax, and have fun away from work and class.”

“I have a shift every day this weekend,” said Sophie.

“Alex will probably be back,” said Remiel.

“You two are killing me. Just tell me you’ll come. Pick a day, after your shift. We’ll meet in the afternoon. I’m sure Rem’s kid can handle one afternoon alone.”

Sophie and Remiel exchanged an uncertain look, but Sophie said, “We’ll try, Zak.”

The older boy grinned, his smile bright. “That’s all I ask.” 

***

After they finished dinner, they all walked back to the hospital together. Sophie held Remiel’s hand the whole way, her fingers entwined with his. Even though they argued a lot about silly little things, he never doubted that he loved her. She was compassionate and beautiful, and full of a bright energy that made him happy.

But what if she didn’t love him?

Remiel kissed her goodbye when they got to the staff door to the hospital, waved to her and Zak, and then flew off. He was troubled, and it wasn’t the first time he considered if staying with Sophie was really beneficial to her. Maybe she would be better off with someone like Zak.

When he made it back to the academy, he soared down to the level with Alex, Uzzi, and Isa’s room. Even if Alex wasn’t back yet, it wouldn’t hurt to check on Uzzi. He hadn’t been happy about leaving home early, but he wasn’t old enough to fly alone, so he had to come with them. Sophie thought it would be okay, since they all assumed Alex would be back by now.

Remiel knocked and then entered the room. “Hey, Uz. Alex back yet?” he asked.

Uzzi was standing on his hands, staring at Remiel upside down. “Nope.” There were berries on the floor beneath his head, and as Remiel watched, Uzzi lowered his face to the floor, slurped one of the berried up with his tongue, and then straightened his arms out, all while keeping his feet straight up in the air.

With a disgruntled sigh, Remiel walked in and pushed Uzzi over. “Don’t eat food off the floor,” he scolded and then picked the berries up. There was dirt stuck to all of them. 

Uzzi flopped into the pillows and looked up at Remiel. “I’m so bored. When is Alex coming back?”

“Soon, I hope.” Remiel dropped the berries in the trash. “You could catch up on your studying.”

“Like hell I’m going to study during a holiday, Remi. Me and Molli were building a fort this month. It was going to be strong enough to defend against a whole horde of fiends. Instead, you made me leave to do nothing. You can’t make me study.”

“I’m sorry, Uzziel. I know it’s not fair to you.”

“You should have come back on your own,” Uzzi complained. “I don’t know why you made Sophie and me come, too. I wish you weren’t dating my sister.”

Remiel stopped and looked down at Uzzi. “Do you really mean that?”

The boy puffed out his cheeks, a bit of smoke curling from his mouth as he exhaled. “No. Sometimes. It’s just, you’re always around. You’re supposed to be Alex’s tutor, not mine, and he doesn’t even need you.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“No one asked you to.”

Remiel picked up one of the pillows and dropped it on Uzzi’s face. “If Alex comes back, come find me.”

Uzzi threw the pillow back at him, sending it way over his head. “Go away, jerk.” 

On the walk back to his room, Remiel wondered if Uzzi was right. Maybe no one really needed his help. Maybe they’d all be better off without him.

***

After Remiel finished his shower, he walked the long way back to his room, enjoying the quiet of the academy while most the students were gone. He wasn’t lucky enough for his roommates to be among the students who went home for the whole month, so he was in no hurry to return to them. He walked, and gently fanned the air around him with his wings to dry the curl back into his hair. 

A Homm approached, and it took Remiel a second to recognize the man as one of Headmaster Iscriel’s scribes. “Ahnnak Remiel?” he asked.

“Yes?”

“Headmaster Iscriel sends word that the Ahnnak Alexiel has returned, and is stationed in the quarters of the Ahnnak Gabriel. He requests that you resume watch of your charge at your earliest convenience.”

Remiel tilted his head, his wet hair sliding across his shoulders. “Is that all?”

“There was some urgency in his tone, but yes.” 

“Thank you. Let him know I’m headed that way now.”

The Homm gave Remiel a quick bow, then hurried off. 

Anytime Headmaster Iscriel requested something be done at someone’s earliest convenience, he usually wanted it done right away. Remiel was afraid something had gone wrong on Alex and Gabriel’s trip home. As he walked to the foyer to fly up to the higher level, his mind raced with all the ways Alex could have been hurt.

At Gabriel’s door, Remiel started to knock six times to let Gabriel know it was him, but the door opened on the third knock. Alex had his finger against his lips, urging Remiel to be quiet. 

The room was dark, lit by the subdued glow of a phosphor lamp in the corner. Remiel stepped in, and Alex carefully closed the door behind him. The little boy walked over to the bed, where Gabriel lay sprawled on his stomach. 

Alex crouched by his face and gently touched Gabriel’s shoulder. The silver-haired boy groaned, but opened his eyes. “What?”

“Remi is here, Brother,” Alex said softly. “I’m going to go.”

Gabriel tried to push himself up to see Remiel, but he winced in obvious pain and lay back down. Remiel stepped forward, concerned. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Grumbling against his pillow, Gabriel said, “If I wanted your help, I’d ask for it.” 

Remiel’s brow furrowed. “Alright, well, I’m leaving with Alex then. Later.”

“Just get out,” Gabriel griped. He looked at his little brother. “Not a word, remember?”

“I know, Brother,” Alex answered, and then he left the room with Remiel. 

After they were a few halls away from Gabriel’s room, Remiel asked, “What’s his problem?”

“The flight back was hard,” Alex answered. He looked weary. 

Remiel couldn’t let his irritation with Gabriel’s attitude alter his care of Alex. He pushed aside his feelings to focus on the little boy. “How about you? How are you doing?”

“I want to sleep, but I’m hungry, Remi. Can we get food?”

“Of course. Uzzi’s been looking forward to having you back. How about I bring you to your room so you can rest and talk with him, then I’ll fly down to get some food from the dining hall.”

Alex nodded. “That’s sounds good.”

They walked for a few moments in silence, then Remiel asked, “What happened while you were gone?”

“I can’t talk about it, but… I did something bad.” He sighed heavily. “I’m just glad we’re back.” 

“I’m glad you’re back, too, Alex.” Remiel smiled at him. Maybe later, when he was more rested, Alex would be willing to talk about it more, but Remiel wouldn’t pressure him. 

Uzzi was ecstatic to see Alex again. He hugged the black-haired boy, then picked him up around the waist and spun him around, even as Alex struggled to get away from him. 

“Don’t touch me!” Alex hollered, pushing on Uzzi’s face until the fiery boy released him. Remiel could tell Alex was tired and grumpy, but Uzzi didn’t seem to care. The boy grinned and bounced around Alex, talking non-stop about his trip home. Remiel left them to go get Alex a basket of food.

By the time Remiel returned, Uzzi had calmed. They were sitting next to each other in the pit. Uzzi was as motionless as Remiel had ever seen him, and Remiel quickly realized why.

Alex had fallen asleep on Uzzi’s shoulder.

Uzzi looked up at Remiel when he entered like he’d been caught doing something inappropriate. Remiel gave him a small smile. “He’s just tired,” Remiel assured him. “It’s a good thing you were there to support him, or he’d probably have fallen asleep and hit his head on the stone.”

“Y-Yeah. Good thing I was there,” the boy said, embracing the excuse.

Remiel brought the basket over. He tapped Alex’s arm and the boy woke with a start. “Alex, it’s just me. Do you want something to eat, or do you just want to go to bed?”

“Food.” The little boy held out his hand and closed his eyes. Remiel placed a bread roll on Alex’s palm and watched with fascination as Alex mechanically devoured it while appearing asleep. When the first was gone, Remiel gave him another. Halfway through the third, Alex’s hand dropped to his lap, and he was completely out.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Remiel said, plucking the half eaten roll from Alex’s hand. He cleared the way for him to be able to pick up Alex and carry him to bed. 

“I don’t mind if he sleeps here,” Uzzi said, his cheeks turning red. 

“He’ll be more comfortable in his bed. You can talk to him more tomorrow, but he needs to rest.” Remiel picked Alex up, ignoring the black-haired boy’s weak grumbles of protest, and flew him up to the highest bunk. 

After Alex was situated and comfortable, Remiel dropped back down and gave Uzzi a quick smile. “You should get to sleep, too.” He glanced up at Alex’s bed. “Come get me if anything goes wrong.”

“Is he okay?” Uzzi asked, really softly.

Remiel thought a moment, then said, “I’m not sure. Let’s give him a couple days to adjust to being back. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Nodding, Uzzi said, “Goodnight, Remi.”

“Night, Uz. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then he left, and worried the whole way back to his room about what could have happened to Alex and Gabriel when they went home.


	99. Gabriel: 14th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

Gabriel slept until his body gave him no other choice but to get out of bed. He stumbled into his bathing room, using the wall for support, as every single move ached through his whole body. 

When he came back out, he thought about collapsing on the bed, but he knew if he did, he would just die there. He was so hungry, he would never have the strength to get up again if he didn’t find food now. Since he was back at the academy, he did his best to groom himself and dress in appropriate clothes. It was hard. Everything was hard. Maybe laying down and dying was the best option.

He left his room, doing his best to not look like he was in pain. A crease stayed between his brow, making him look angry, but at least no one thought he was in a mood for banal conversation. He thanked the architects of the academy for putting the dining hall on one of the lower levels, because all he had to do at the gap was open his wings and fall. Getting back up would be trickier, but maybe a full meal would give him the energy to make the climb.

The dining hall was filled with more people than Gabriel expected during the break. A quarter of the tables were crowded with a group Gabriel quickly recognized as the Hunt. He spotted Barach as his old friend looked up. Their eyes met for the briefest second, but Gabriel quickly turned away and walked toward the food line. He did not have the energy to deal with any part of the Hunt today.

The line was long, and Gabriel realized he’d have to stand there for a while before getting his food. He knew it was lunchtime, but it was the Harvest. Why were any of these people here?

That’s when he spotted a boy with familiar, shaggy brown hair sitting at a table alone, reading an old tome while picking at a platter of food. 

Gabriel approached, leaning over his shoulder. “Hey, Vivi,” he whispered in the boy’s ear.

Vivi startled, dropping his book. He stared up at Gabriel with wide brown eyes. “G-Gabriel? What are you-” He looked around, dropping his voice lower. “What are you doing here? I thought you were gone for the Harvest.”

Gabriel smiled charmingly down at him. “Did you miss me?”

A blush spread across Vivi’s cheeks. “Y-Yes.” 

It hurt to lean over like that. Gabriel straightened, trying to make the move look casual. “I just got back yesterday,” he said. “Haven’t even had a chance to eat, but the line is so long…”

Quickly, Vivi grabbed his platter of food and held it out to Gabriel. “H-Here. I’ll share. Y-You can have whatever you want. I don’t mind. I’ll even get you more, if you want to sit with me.”

Gabriel smiled. Vivi was so easy and compliant. It wasn’t even a challenge. “Thank you, Vivi. You’re so thoughtful.” He ate at slice of apple from Vivi’s platter.

From behind the silver-haired boy, a voice said, “Gabriel, I need to talk to you.” It was a girl’s voice, filled with emotion. He recognized it, but it took him a moment to place it.

Slowly, Gabriel turned around, already annoyed. “Um, it’s Oriel, right?” he asked, as if he couldn’t remember her.

Her lip trembled. “Gabriel, I need to talk to you,” Ori repeated. She appeared to have lost weight. She was cuter when her pink cheeks were rounder, but he didn’t really care anymore. She wasn’t his problem.

“What do you want?” he demanded.

“I’m willing to forgive you,” she said. She held her hands behind her back, under her wings, standing there like a child too shy to talk to him.

“Forgive me?” Gabriel asked. “For what?”

“I-I know… I know Ilac tricked you,” she declared. “It wasn’t your fault. We’re meant to be together, Gabriel. You and me, forever.” She took a step forward. 

Gabriel frowned down at the Terran girl. “Forever doesn’t work like that. Besides, we broke up.”

“No, no, no. It was a mistake. I miss you,” she said. “I love you. We’re supposed to be together.”

It was like she wasn’t hearing anything he said. “Ori, I don’t love you. I never did.”

Her eyes flicked to Vivi, where he sat watching her with a stunned expression on his face. “Why?” Ori demanded, her voice getting louder with every word. “Because you’re sleeping with other girls? Because you’re sleeping with him?!” The rest of the dining hall quieted. Everyone was watching and listening to them.

“It’s none of your business who I’m with,” Gabriel told her. 

Her eyes focused on him, too wide, a little wild. She took another step toward him. He wanted to move away from her, but he wasn’t about to back down to a girl, especially not with everyone watching. 

“I love you, Gabriel. Come back to me,” she pleaded. 

He narrowed his eyes. “Never,” he stated. 

A tear dropped from the corner of Ori’s eye, before a resolved, hard look settled on her once sweet and kind face. “If I can’t have you,” she said, “then no one can.”

She brought her hand out from behind her back, and Gabriel was a split-second too late noticing that she held a knife.

The blade sliced up, clutched in the girl’s fist. Gabriel lurched back, trying to avoid the blow, but his reflexes weren’t as fast as they should be. The sharpened metal cut through his tunic and dragged along his chest, leaving a deep gouge in his flesh. 

Gabriel barely noticed the cut, because in his haste to escape her, he twisted wrong. The nerves in his spine and the delicate bones that weren’t quite healed yet flared with agony that spasmed through his back. Gabriel spun around, staggered by the pain. He hunched over and put his hands on his knees to keep from falling. “ _Motherfucker_ ,” he hissed, trying to channel the pain so he could respond to the girl attacking him.

Through his silver hair, he could see her coming for him again, and Gabriel had the unpleasant realization that he was going to die at the hand of this girl.


	100. Barachiel: 14th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

The games of the Summer Hunt had gone well for the Archridge team. They had no problem reaching the finals, which were coming up this weekend, though Lorcas had explained that was because most of the other teams around E’din just used the summer games as a chance to train their new recruits. The winter games were the ones people took seriously, but a win was a win. They weren’t going to slack off just because they could.

During the Harvest, they’d been able to practice as a team during the day. They ran drills in the morning, then combat training in the afternoon. In the middle, at lunch, the team sat and discussed tactics for the upcoming match. 

That’s what they were doing when Gabriel walked in.

“Oh, look, it’s Gabriel,” said Sera. “I didn’t know he was back yet.” She was leaning on Lorcas’s shoulder, stealing berries from his platter. Her fingers were stained the same purple as her hair. Every once in a while, when Lorcas stopped talking to Vice-Captain Cariel long enough to eat, Sera would share one of the berries with him. He would chew it, then go back to talking. They were so casual and relaxed with each other, it was strange to think how often Lorcas slept with other girls at the games Sera didn’t attend.

Barach looked across the room about the time Gabriel glanced their way. For a second, he thought he’d caught Gabriel’s eye. Clearly not. Gabriel turned away and walked toward the line for food. Barach frowned. 

“Why you bummed, Rockiel?” asked Hul. The nickname still annoyed Barach, but he’d gotten used to it. At least from Hul and Ombri. Anyone else who tried to use it often got punched. “You still sad you couldn’t go surfing with your little blue friend?”

“No, I don’t surf,” replied Barach. He took a bite of his apple. “I could have gone with Erem, but if I skipped the games, who would have watched your back when that boar tried to rip you open?”

“Hey,” said Lorcas, leaning forward so he could see Barach. “Don’t even joke about skipping games. Focus on the championship.”

“Yes, Captain,” Barach said, rolling his eyes. Hul smirked. Lorcas was so single-minded before the games. Their team was good. They worked well together. There was no way they were going to lose.

Normal strategy conversations resumed, and Barach looked across the dining hall to where Gabriel stood. He spoke to some boy Barach didn’t recognize. Barach supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that Gabriel had other friends, but part of him was. He noticed Sera was watching Gabriel, too. She smiled a bit, and Barach looked back in time to see a girl slowly approach Gabriel. 

“Is that Ori?” Barach asked aloud. He’d heard about what Gabriel had done to the girl, and he was shocked that she would ever want to talk to him again. His friend could be such a little bastard sometimes.

Sera grinned over at Barach. “I’m so happy she’s finally talking to him. She’s been so sad,” Sera explained. “I didn’t think she’d ever leave her room. She cried for weeks when they broke up.”

“Don’t know why anyone would cry over that little prick,” Lorcas grumbled, glaring across the room at Gabriel. 

Sera poked his cheek. “Don’t be mean. You focus on your game, let me focus on mine.” He opened his mouth, and she fed him another berry.

“Your game?” Barach asked.

“Not really a game,” Sera clarified. “See, Ori is one of my closest friends, and I want her to be happy. I figured, if she just talked to Gabriel, and let him know how she felt, he’d understand how much he hurt her, and apologize.”

Barach’s frown deepened. Even though he hadn’t spoken to Gabriel in months, he still knew Gabriel well enough to know he wasn’t going to apologize.

“Oh, wait, are you talking about the Prince?” asked Giliel, the Terran boy who served as Cariel’s tracker. He was sitting across from the vice-captain, and turned around to see who they were looking at. “It is!” he said, sounding excited. “There’s these girls in my class that would just die if they could meet him.”

“What a disappointing death,” Lorcas said, before Sera stuffed another berry in his mouth. 

“I heard the Prince has three girlfriends,” said Giliel. 

Zoldias, the Homm tracker on Titan’s squad, joined in the conversation, adding, “I heard he’s got girls just lining up outside his door every night, begging to sleep with him.”

Titan’s boyfriend, who was draped across the big Homm’s shoulders said, “I hear he takes boys, too.” 

“Don’t gossip,” said Titan, pulling his boyfriend around and into his lap. 

“Sorry, honey, don’t be jealous,” the skinny Terran boy cooed, placing sweet little kisses on Titan’s cheeks.

“Don’t believe everything you hear,” Sera said, frowning at Zoldias and Giliel. There was nothing she could do about Titan and his boyfriend. They were off in their own little world now. “Just because you hear a rumor about the Prince doesn’t mean it’s true. I’m certain there’s a reasonable explanation for all of it, and if he gets back together with Ori, they might start eating with us, so you all need to be nice.”

“You’re too optimistic,” Lorcas told Sera. “And I really wish you wouldn’t call him that.”

“He’s a good kid, if you get to know him,” Sera insisted.

“I doubt that.” Lorcas looked over at Gabriel again. “I don’t think its going well.”

Ori’s voice cut through the chatter of the dining hall. Everyone quieted, turning to watch. 

“-cause you’re sleeping with him?!” she screamed.

“Told you,” Titan’s boyfriend whispered. Titan hushed him, pinching his bottom and making the Terran give a little yelp of surprise.

Gabriel spoke to Ori, staying cool and calm. He was completely unemotional as the girl moved closer, pleading with him. 

Nobody expected the next move Ori made. She brought her hand out from behind her back. There was a glint of light as she swung her arm up and Gabriel reeled backward. 

“Oh, shit, she’s got a knife,” said Lorcas, but Barach was already up, climbing onto the table and jumping into the air. He knew he wasn’t going to make it in time.

Ori raised the knife over her head, ready to thrust it down into Gabriel’s back. He was hunched over in pain, swearing. How bad had the first blow cut him? He needed to defend himself. He need to at least run.

Barach was still too far away when the knife began to descend. Ori was aiming for his neck, like she planned on severing his head. She was going to try to kill him.

The brown-haired boy Gabriel had been talking to at the table suddenly threw himself at Ori, fighting with her over control of the knife. He was thin, not much stronger than her, and she had better leverage. She plunged the knife down into the boy’s right shoulder. 

As soon as the blade embedded in him to the hilt, Ori released it, stepping back with a startled look on her face. She looked at Gabriel, and said, “But I love you.”

Barach landed and grabbed the girl’s arms. She didn’t fight against him, but he wanted to hit her anyway. He refrained, though it took a lot of control not to crush her wrists in his hands. 

The boy who Ori had stabbed gave a meek whimper as he looked at the knife sticking out of his shoulder. He slumped to his knees, then promptly passed out and sprawled across the dining hall floor. Barach didn’t think the wound was life-threatening, but the boy would need to get to a medic soon.

Barach handed Ori over to Ombri when he landed beside him. “Got her,” the Terran weapon said, then motioned with his chin to Gabriel. “Go on.”

“Thanks.” Barach jogged over to Gabriel. 

The silver-haired boy was still muttering curses under his breath, but as Barach approached, he slowly straightened. There was a red gash across his chest. The fabric of his tunic was torn and stained. 

“Gabriel? Are you okay?”

“No,” Gabriel replied, looking up at Barach. He clenched his jaw, the muscles twitching in his cheeks. “I think she was going to kill me.”

“Why didn’t you defend yourself?”

“I’m hurt, Barach.” 

“Yeah, I can see the blood. She cut you deep.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

More members of the Hunt approached from the ends of the aisles between the tables, including Lorcasiel and Sera. The lavender-haired girl looked horrified, holding her hand over her mouth. Lorcas was watching Gabriel, but he gave instructions for people to alert the medics and help stabilize the boy passed out on the floor. The captain quickly had the whole situation under control.

Gabriel scowled and tried to stand a little straighter, but he winced in pain. He actually reached out and grabbed Barach’s arm, like he was about to fall over. Gabriel closed his eyes, and hissed out a steady, controlled breath. Quietly, barely moving his lips, he said, “I had an incident with Jequn. I don’t want anyone to know.” Blue eyes opened, looking up at Barach with a plea that the older Ahnnak couldn’t refuse.

“I got you,” Barach assured him. He slid his arm around Gabriel’s waist, and the silver-hair boy leaned heavily against him. There was a tremble to Gabriel’s body that Barach only noticed now that he held him so close. How injured was Gabriel, really?

Lorcas strode over once everyone else had their instructions. He gazed down at Gabriel. “How bad did the little girl cut you?” 

“Fuck you, Lorcas,” Gabriel said, glaring at him. 

“You’ll be fine,” Lorcas scoffed. He looked at the boy on the ground being tended by the vice-captain and a couple other Huntsmen. They left the knife in place to avoid making the unconscious boy bleed more. “What’s his name?”

“Vivi-” Gabriel shook his head. “I mean, Vidiel.”

“You got random kids taking hits for you now, Prince?” asked Lorcas snidely. The way he said ‘Prince’ was filled with mocking and derision. 

“He’s a friend,” Gabriel grumbled back.

“Sure he is.” The captain crossed his arms over his chest. “So what did you say to make the girl try to stab you?”

“Are you blaming me for nearly dying?”

“Maybe. I can think of a few times where something you’ve said has made me want to kill you.” The two of them glared at each other like they were going to brawl, even though Gabriel could barely stand.

Lorcas’ animosity eased as Sera walked up with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel!” she cried. “I never thought she would try to hurt anyone. I just wanted her to talk to you. I wanted you to understand how much-” Her voice broke, and she pressed her hands to her eyes. “It doesn’t matter now. I’m sorry.”

Lorcas put his arm around Sera’s shoulders, pulling her close. “It’s not your fault, Sera.”

Gabriel gave the lavender-haired girl a tight smile, doing his best to hide his pain. “I don’t blame you, but… If Vivi hadn’t been here, I’d probably be dead.”

“Vivi?” Sera asked, peeking out from between her fingers.

“The boy Cariel is looking after,” Lorcas clarified. “Vidiel.”

There were more people entering the dining hall, trying to see what had happened. It would be chaos soon. “Captain, do you have this under control?” asked Barach. 

Lorcasiel motioned to the Huntsmen around them. “We’ve got the threat contained and the wounded stabilized. There’s a perimeter set to keep the students back. We’re covered. The academy staff will arrive soon and take over, and they’ll want statements of what happened.”

“They know where they can find Gabriel,” said Barach. “I want to get him out of here.”

Lorcas glanced at the crowd gathering. “Yeah, probably a good idea,” he agreed. “Hide the Prince before more rumors start.”

It was probably already too late for that, but Barach nodded. He turned toward Gabriel and quietly asked, “Do you want me to carry you?”

“I’ll walk out of here if it kills me,” Gabriel replied, speaking through clenched teeth. Then, softer, he said, “Just don’t let go.”

“I won’t,” Barach promised. 

Gabriel spoke to Sera, sounding a little uncertain. “Can you… Can you stay with Vivi until he wakes up? I don’t want him to think I abandonded him after he…”

Sera touched her hand to her mouth, giving a little gasp, as if she had just realized something important. “Oh, oh, Gabriel. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. Of course I’ll stay with your boyfriend-”

Gabriel held up his hand, cutting her off. “He’s not my boyfriend,” he said firmly. “We’re just friends.”

“Of course,” Sera said in that way people do when they think they’re helping hide a secret. “I won’t leave Vivi’s side at all. I’ll watch over him.”

With a small sigh of relief, Gabriel said, “Thank you.” 

“We’d better go,” Barach insisted. Gabriel nodded in agreement.

“Alright, clear a path!” Lorcasiel called with all the command of the Hunt. The Huntsmen formed a barrier, guiding students back until there was a unobstructed channel out of the dining hall.

Barach gave his captain a grateful smile, then started toward the exit. Barach could feel the muscles spasm and twitch in Gabriel’s back with every step, but the silver-haired boy kept his head up and continued moving forward.

Ori was restrained, sitting on a bench off to the side. Ombri and Hul stood watch over her, but the girl wasn’t moving. She stared at the floor, her eyes completely unfocused, obviously in shock. She didn’t even look up as Gabriel and Barach walked by. 

They made it out of the dining hall and about halfway down the corridor around the edge of the gap before Gabriel stumbled. Barach caught him, but it was clear Gabriel was in pain. 

“Can I carry you to the medic now?” Barach asked.

“No medic. I just need to rest. Give me a second.”

A couple students who had landed in the foyer up ahead were walking toward them. They whispered to each other, and pointed at the blood on Gabriel’s shirt. 

“Alright, come on. This way,” Barach said, guiding Gabriel toward an empty hall. It was a staff entrance, leading further into the stone, but it was empty at the moment. Barach propped Gabriel against the wall, then stepped back and pulled off his own shirt.

“What are you doing?” Gabriel asked, squinting at him. 

“You’re bleeding a lot.” Barach draped his shirt over his shoulder, then stepped up and began untying the knot of Gabriel’s sliced shirt. The gash across his chest started on his left, at his lowest rib, and cut deep up across his sternum, up to his right collarbone.

“Hey! Stop it!” Gabriel swiped at him, but the move sent him off balance. He winced and started to tilt. 

Barach caught him, leaned him back against the wall, and commanded, “Stay.” He tugged at the knot again.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Gabriel grumbled, but he didn’t move again. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the stone.

“Why do you always tie your knots so damn tight?” muttered Barach as his fingers fumbled at the fabric. “Fuck it.” He grabbed the already torn shirt and ripped it apart.

“Damn it, Barach-”

“Don’t whine. It was already ruined.” Barach folded the torn fabric to make a makeshift bandage, which he wrapped around Gabriel’s chest. As he pulled the boy to him so he could reach around Gabriel’s back and tie the bandage off under his wings, he couldn’t help but sniff Gabriel’s hair. He smelled like dirt and wind. “When did you get back?” he asked while his fingers tied the knot.

Gabriel leaned against Barach’s bare chest, his eyes closed. “Last night.”

“And you haven’t showered?” He tighten the knot enough to make Gabriel flinch, but it wouldn’t slip off. He placed Gabriel back against the stone wall, then took his own shirt off his shoulder and started dressing the other boy.

“I was tired,” Gabriel said, slipping one arm through a sleeve. “I was hungry.” Barach slid the other sleeve up Gabriel’s arm. He adjusted the fabric on Gabriel’s shoulders as the younger Ahnnak motioned back toward the dining hall. “All I wanted was something to eat.”

“I’ll bring you food after I get you to your room.” Barach brought the ends of his shirt around Gabriel’s slim waist and tied them in a loose bow across his belly.

Gabriel’s brow furrowed as he looked down at himself. “Why am I wearing your shirt, Barach?”

“Because if you’re not going to let me take you to a medic, you can’t walk around bleeding everywhere. It’s too suspicious.”

“And you walking around shirtless isn’t?”

“It’s still hot enough. I can get away with it.” Barach pressed his hand against Gabriel’s chest, making sure the bandage had remained in place. “Okay, let’s go.”

Gabriel didn’t move. “Just give me five more minutes.”

Barach frowned a bit, looking down the hallway. A few people walked by the end, but they were headed toward the dining hall, drawn in by the noise and excitement. Loud voices could be heard, trying to break up the gathered students. The staff were beginning to arrive. If they were going to leave before being caught by staff, they needed to go now.

“Screw it.” Barach scooped Gabriel up, sweeping him off his feet.

“ _Fiend-taken motherfuck-,_ ” Gabriel hissed in pain. He wrapped his arms around Barach’s neck and pressed his face against Barach’s bare shoulder as he muttered more curses. His wings spasmed, before tucking in closer.

“Stop whining,” Barach said, carefully adjusting the silver-haired Ahnnak in his arms. “This will be faster.” He strode out of the hall and toward the open archway to the gap. 

Under his breath, Gabriel grumbled, “Fucking worried about being suspicious…”

“Won’t be any worse than the rumors already spread about you,” Barach replied.

Gabriel fell into a disgruntled silence. Barach stepped off the edge and opened his wings. Even carrying Gabriel, he easily flew up to the higher levels. He landed near the advanced curriculum dorms and strode toward the halls. 

“Which way?” Barach asked. He’d never had any reason to go to Gabriel’s new room, not after their last fight.

“That way,” Gabriel muttered, still sounding sullen. 

They passed a few other students in the halls, who gawked openly at them. Gabriel tried to keep his face hidden, but there wasn’t much point. Anyone who knew of him could recognize him by his silver hair alone, and lately, it seemed everyone knew of him. He had developed a reputation at the academy, and even Barach wasn’t sure how much of it was true.

Who knew how many new rumors would be circulating the academy by the end of the day. Not that it really mattered.

When they got to Gabriel’s room, Barach carefully put him down. He kept an arm around Gabriel’s waist, supporting him as he deactivated the simple ward on his door. The door swung open and they walked in together.

Barach got Gabriel to the bed and helped him sit before he finally let go. Jaw clenched, Gabriel leaned back on his hands, moving slow, like everything hurt. His wings slowly opened behind him, trembling slightly. Spots of blood appeared on Barach’s shirt as the wound bled through the thin layers of fabric.

“We should take care of the cut before I go get food,” said Barach. 

“Honestly, I’d rather just have the food,” Gabriel replied. 

“I’m still going to take care of the cut. You’re bleeding on my shirt.”

“And whose fault is that?” Gabriel grumbled.

Ignoring the comment, Barach went into the bathing room and filled a basin with hot water. While he waited for it to fill, he found a clean towel and soap. He carried everything back out and placed it all on the bed next to Gabriel. 

Carefully, Barach began undressing the silver-haired Ahnnak. The shirt’s knot was much easier this time, but Barach had to hold Gabriel up to lift his arms and slip the sleeves off. Gabriel tried to make it easier on him, but it was clear any movement caused him pain.

“How did you manage to fly back?” Barach asked as he folded his shirt and placed it on the floor.

“Staying would have been worse,” Gabriel said. He avoided looked at Barach. 

“What did he do to you?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.” 

That wasn’t surprising. No matter how different Gabriel tried to act or look, some things never changed. 

Barach knelt before him and unwrapped the bloody shirt from Gabriel’s chest. It peeled away, stuck to the blood, and Gabriel sucked in pained breath. 

“Sorry,” Barach muttered, removing the last of it.

Exhaling slowly, Gabriel looked down at his chest. “Fuck.” 

“You got lucky this time. If she’d held the knife different and aimed two inched up-” Barach touched the spot on Gabriel’s chest, just below his heart. “Even your boyfriend might not have been able to save you.”

Gabriel’s brow furrowed. “Vidiel isn’t my boyfriend.”

“I’m not going to judge you.” Barach took a cloth and soaked it in the hot water. He wrung it out and started dabbing the blood from Gabriel’s skin. There was already signs of his body healing at the edges of the wound.

“I need him,” Gabriel said. When Barach glanced up, briefly meeting his eye, Gabriel clarified, “For class. He’s smart. At least with history.” 

“Uh huh. Isn’t this why you just got stabbed? Didn’t you play this game with Ori?”

“It’s not the same. I’m not dating him, we just study together. He takes notes and helps me with assignments. In return I, um…”

“Sleep with him?” 

A flush spread across Gabriel’s face. “What? No! Fiends, Barach, we just mess around a little. Hands. Mouths. It’s harmless.”

“Harmless,” Barach scoffed. He rinsed out the towel, squeezing the bloody water back into the bowl. “Well, whatever your intentions, he cares about you enough to risk getting stabbed for you.”

For a few quiet moments, Gabriel sat and watch Barach rinse the towel. Then he softly said, “You came for me, too.”

“That’s because we’re friends, Gabriel,” Barach replied, gently cleaning the gash again.

Gabriel swallowed hard. “You know… I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“Everything I said when I found out about you and Erem.”

Barach sighed. “I’m sorry, too. After we argued, I should have come to talk to you sooner. I know what a stubborn ass you can be.” 

“Hey!” Gabriel protested, like he was offended, but there was a little smile at the corner of his lips. 

Barach smirked briefly, but remained focused on the blood and the words. “Truth is, I was being stubborn, too. I kept waiting for you to come back and apologize, even when Erem begged me to go see you.”

“It’s too bad he isn’t here,” Gabriel pointed out. “He’d love this.”

“The fact that we’re talking, or the cut on your chest?”

Gabriel laughed and then winced. “Both,” he said, his voice laced with pain. 

“Yeah, you’re right. He’s visiting home this month with Ar. I didn’t go because of the Hunt-”

“He told me.”

“You spoke to him?” Barach looked up, surprised.

“Erem and I have been talking for the past two months.”

“Two months?” Barach frowned. “He never said anything.”

“It was after the Summer Hunt started. I think he was lonely.”

Shaking his head, Barach said, “He thinks I’m choosing the Hunt over him. We had a huge fight before he left with Ar, because I wouldn’t go with him.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“Because of the Hunt.” Barach didn’t need to see the look on Gabriel’s face to know what he was going to say. “The team needs me,” he insisted.

“You’re lying,” Gabriel replied. It wasn’t an accusation, just a simple statement. 

Barach rinsed out the cloth again. “Maybe. I don’t know. I like the game, and Erem… Erem doesn’t understand that I can’t just hang out in the room all day and watch him mope. He hates when I go down to the stables, and he hates when I practice with the Hunt. At least when you were around, he had someone else to talk to.”

Gabriel smiled a bit. “Won’t he be surprised when he comes back?”

Barach resumed cleaning Gabriel’s chest. The bleeding had nearly stopped. “Does that mean you’ll have time for us again?” 

“Yes. Well, unless you’re Lorcas’ pet now.”

“He’s not that bad,” Barach said. 

“I seriously doubt that.”

Barach wiped the last of the blood from Gabriel’s chest. “Alright, the bleeding has stopped. Lay down and rest.” He dropped the wet towel into the basin and stood up. “I’ll go get you food.” 

“Finally.” Barach helped Gabriel adjust so he was laying comfortably in his bed. It was hard watching Gabriel be in so much pain. 

“How long have you been hurt?” Barach asked while he adjusted the pillow under Gabriel’s head. 

“Since the beginning of the month.”

Incredulous, Barach said, “And you’re still healing?”

Gabriel closed his eyes. “He broke my spine, Barach. I’ve only been walking for a few days.”

For a moment, Barach was speechless. If he hadn’t known some of the things Gabriel’s father had done to him before, he might not have believed it. He had to swallow a couple times before he found his voice. “I’ll go get your food,” he whispered.

“Thank you, Barach,” Gabriel murmured. “You’re a good friend.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Barach assured him, even though he was fairly certain Gabriel had already fallen asleep. He left the room, and returned to the dining hall to collect food and give a statement to the staff that would ensure that girl would never bother Gabriel again.


	101. Remiel: 16th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

“Stop fussing over me,” Gabriel complained, shooing Barach away. “Go win your championship.”

“Are you sure you have enough food-” 

“Fiends, Barach, _go_!”

Barach put his hands on his hips. “There’s two of you. If you run out, send Alex down to the kitchen to collect more.”

The little boy looked up from where he lay on Gabriel’s floor, scribbling with charcoal on parchment.

Remiel shook his head and stepped forward. “No way. Alex shouldn’t be leaving this room alone. You’re to stay at your brother’s side tonight,” he told the little boy.

“Yes, Remi,” Alex responded, and went back to drawing. 

“It’s just one night,” said Remiel. “If you run out of food, I’ll bring more up tomorrow-”

“Alright, I swear on the Isten if you two don’t leave right now, I’m going to start throwing lightning,” Gabriel announced, looking pissed. He pointed toward the door.

Remiel went out first, but turned back toward Alex. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.” The black-haired boy nodded, but didn’t look up.

Barach backed out of the room. “I’ll only be gone two days. If you need anything, Sera-”

A bolt of lighting scorched the wall near Barach’s head, which he dodged by jumping out of the room. He shut the door quickly, then gave Remiel an uncertain look. “They’ll be fine,” he said.

“I’m sure,” Remiel agreed, just as uncertainly. Since the boys came back from their visit home, they’d both been acting weird. Neither of them would talk about it. Seeing how matronly Barach was acting made Remiel doubt whether he should leave them alone at all.

However, Remiel was relieved to see Gabriel talking to Barach again. Regaining one of his friends hadn’t done anything to improve Gabriel’s personality, but he had been stabbed recently. Remiel supposed he should give him a little leeway. 

Remiel and Barach walked through the AC halls together, heading toward the archway that opened to the gap.

“Where are you going this afternoon?” Barach asked. 

“Sophie has a friend from her internship at the hospital who invited us over.”

“And you’re going to be out all night?” 

“It’s in Marut. It might be easier than trying to sneak back in after curfew.” Remiel ran his hand back through his thick brown curls. “Where are they holding the championship match?”

“South eastern E’din, near Crown Peak. Half the team already began traveling there a couple days ago.”

“Snow? For the Summer Hunt?” asked Remiel, surprised.

“I don’t think we’ll be that far up the mountain, but apparently the forest there is unplayable in the winter. It’s only available during the summer games.”

“Well, good luck.”

“We don’t need it, but thanks, Remi. You, too.” They reached the gap. “And hey, if you could keep an eye on Gabriel until I get back…”

“Not a problem,” Remiel said, even though he wasn’t looking forward to interacting with the silver-haired boy more than necessary.

“Thanks. Later.” Barach waved. He flew off to the enclave of the Hunt to join the remainder of his team in preparing for their departure.

Trying to push thoughts of caring for Alex and Gabriel out of his mind, Remiel jumped off the edge of the arch. He let himself fall, feeling the exhilaration of plummeting toward the ground, before he snapped open his wings. He flew up out of the fissure, over the roaring waterfall, and toward Marut.

He was a little early, but Zak wanted to meet at a cafe near the hospital. Remiel wasn’t quite sure where it was, though he’d been given directions. He figured if he got there early enough, he could wander around until he found it.

Every three degree weekend, Marut filled with people from the academy and surrounding communities. They joined the workers in the city, the ones normally at jobs, who used the weekends to complete all their errands. The city was crowded and filled with thousands of clamoring voices.

Remiel loved it. He landed in the open plaza and joined the river of people heading into the side streets. Fabric draped overhead in brilliant swashes of color that tinted every street and alley with a different hue. It was beautiful, even if it was just done to discourage people from flying in and out chaotically. 

The temptation to stop at the opulent stalls selling fabrics was too great. He had time. Remiel paused, admiring a delicate linen weave. It wasn’t dyed, but the fibers were smooth, and would probably absorb any color very uniformly. 

The Homm woman at the stall peeked over a stack of rough, woven blankets at him. “You like?” she asked. She was missing a tooth. Either she had lost it recently, or it wasn’t growing back. Remiel could remember right then if Homm could regrow their teeth. 

“It’s lovely,” Remiel said. He stopped touching the fabric. He didn’t want to give her the impression that he was buying it. “Do you make all these yourself?”

“No,” she scoffed. “My sisters and my daughters weave. I just sell. My youngest niece, she’s eight, made these.” She patted the stack of blankets. “She’s learning, yes, but the warmth is there.” 

Remiel examined the blankets. The weave was too loose in some places, too tight in others. The colors were all over the place, as if there was no reasoning behind the next color chosen to go on the spool. Definitely the work of a child.

“Your niece might be better off learning how to sell in the market with you,” Remiel suggested.

The woman laughed, throwing her head back in a delightful sound. “You might be right, young Terran. If you buy that fabric,” she pointed to the delicate linen, “I’ll throw in a blanket for free.”

“As tempting as that is,” Remiel said kindly, “I’m going to have to pass.” He moved on before he could be convinced to part with what little money he currently had.

When Remiel reached the cafe, he was surprised to see Zak already there. The Terran sat in a chair, leaning against the low back with his white wings slightly open. His hair was untied, his tight black curls surrounding his head in a thick mane. The fabric overhead cut from red to blue above him, highlighting his dark skin in different shades as the breeze made the cloth sway. 

Zak was wearing street clothes, and Remiel was surprised to notice he looked really, really nice.

“Hi,” Remiel said as he approached the little table. 

Placing his cup back on the saucer, Zak grinned. “Rem! You’re early.” He stood and pulled Remiel into a quick hug. It was a little awkward, mostly because Remiel hadn’t been expecting it. “Sit with me. Do you want something? They have a few Homm teas here imported from the west, outside of E’din.”

Remiel’s eyebrows raised. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m serious. They’re great. You’ve got to try one. Sit, sit! I’ll get it.” 

Remiel sat at the table as Zak went in the shop. All the chairs were designed for Homm, with backs to them that got in the way of wings, but they were low enough Remiel could fit his wings over the top. It felt strange to lean back like that, almost like he was pretending to be a Homm. 

Zak returned after a couple minutes. He grinned as he took the seat beside Remiel, not the one across the table he had been sitting at. He folded his wings around the back of the chair as if he barely noticed it was there. 

“They’ll be out with the tea in a moment,” he said. “Did you have any trouble getting here?”

“No, though I didn’t think you’d be here yet. Sophie’s shift isn’t over for another hour.”

“Today is my day off,” Zak informed him happily. “I like coming here and watching the crowds on the weekends. However, I did stop by the hospital earlier to check on Zoph. I wanted to make sure you two were still planning on coming over. Nearly got roped into a shift, but I got out of there just in time. Zoph, however…”

Remiel sighed heavily. “She signed up for another shift, didn’t she?”

“Not a full shift, but yeah. She’s staying a couple extra hours. She said she’d catch up with us at my apartment when she’s done.” 

“She knows where it is?”

“Yep. She’s been there before.” That piece of information surprised Remiel. When had Sophie visited Zak’s home?

A pretty Homm girl with light brown skin and greenish-brown eyes came out of the shop with a teacup. She gave Zak a familiar, knowing look, then placed the cup before Remiel. “Enjoy, sir,” she said, smiling brightly. 

“Thank you,” Remiel said. He touched the clay cup. It was warm, filled with a fragrant black liquid.

“You’re the best, Bilah,” Zak said, turning to her with a dashing grin. 

“Don’t push your luck, Zak,” she replied before she returned to the shop.

“What was that about?” Remiel asked.

Zak smiled at him. “She loves me.”

“That didn’t sound like love.”

“Nah, she loves me because I always come here. I’m one of her most loyal customers.”

So that was it. Zak flirted with everyone. Remiel felt a little relieved at that. Maybe he really had no reason to worry about Zak and Sophie. 

The tea was good. It had a complex scent and tart flavor that Remiel savored. He took a few careful sips, even though the tea was still very hot.

“You like it?” Zak asked. He drank from his own cup, but the liquid within was much cooler.

“I do,” Remiel said. “There’s a blend of spices in here I don’t think I’ve ever tasted before.”

“Malagueta pepper and silphium. Adds a little kick to the ginger and black leaf.” Zak sipped his tea, pleased that Remiel seemed to be enjoying the drink.

“You know a lot about Homm food,” Remiel mentioned.

“If I hadn’t developed healing abilities, I probably would have tried to become a chef,” said Zak. 

“Do you like being a healer?” 

The Terran shrugged. “I like helping people. I’m not amazing at it, but if I can ease someone’s pain a little bit, it’s worth it.” He took a drink, then asked, “How about you? What are you destined to do after you graduate?”

“Destined?”

“Well, you’re Ahnnak, so I thought…”

“No, it’s not like that. I’m third generation and not descended from an heir. Nobody cares what I do.”

“Nobody?” asked Zak, a little too perceptive.

“As long as I don’t cause trouble, I get to do what I want,” Remiel said, edging around the topic.

“And what is it that you want, Rem?” There was a weight to Zak’s words that gave Remiel the fleeting thought that the Terran was flirting with him again. He dismissed it quickly, reminding himself that that was just how Zak was. Nothing to dwell on.

“I would like to design textiles and clothes. Maybe own my own shop one day.”

“That’s all?” 

Remiel shrugged his wings. “We can’t all be born to save the world.”

Zak smirked. “Maybe, but you shouldn’t underestimate yourself like that. You never know.”

They drank their teas and watched the busy people flow by. When they were done, Zak offered to run the cups back inside. He came back out with a parchment pouch, which he offered to Remiel.

“Sweetheart?”

“What?” Remiel asked, taken aback.

“That’s what Bilah calls them. They’re little puffs of sweet dough with silphium.”

“O-Oh.” Remiel laughed and picked one of the pieces out of the package. The bite-size bit of dough was shaped like the silphium pod, with two round bumps on one side, and a point on the other. It was delicious. 

Zak offered Remiel more, and waited until he was chewing before he said, “She shapes them like silphium pods and calls them hearts because she only sells them to couples in love. She says they’re a blessing. I had to tell her we were on a date before she would let me buy any.”

Remiel choked on the puff. He coughed while Zak patted his back until the dough dislodged. “You what?!” he gasped.

“Sorry,” Zak said with an abashed smile. “I should have warned you. Zoph is usually the one to come here with me. It’s the only way I can get Bilah to sell them to me. She makes limited quantities every day, and they always sell out fast, but I’m addicted to them.”

“You come here with Sophie on dates?” 

“It’s just pretend, Rem,” Zak assured him. He held out the package again, but Remiel refused. Zak shrugged and ate another. “I think Bilah knows, but she isn’t willing to call me a liar, so she lets it slide. Same with you. As long as I’m here with someone, she’ll sell them to me.” 

Remiel pushed his ringed fingers back through his hair, exposing his earrings. “I don’t know how I feel about you fake-dating me or my girlfriend for access to food.”

“It doesn’t have to be fake,” Zak joked. At least, Remiel thought it was a joke. With Zak, he still wasn’t completely sure how to tell when the boy was being serious. “Come on, we’ve got some time to kill. Let’s walk around before we head to my apartment.” He started walking, and after hesitating a moment, Remiel released his hair and followed.

***

They wandered through the bazaar for a while, staying close to each other in the crowd. Zak stopped to examine some colorful spices piled in bowls at a stall. Remiel noticed a gem merchant a couple stalls over and went there. He touched the glittering stones, impressed with the variety. 

“Hey, kid, don’t touch it if you ain’t gonna buy it,” said the merchant, glancing over from where he was helping an older Terran man with obvious wealth.

“Sorry,” Remiel muttered, pulling his hand back. 

Zak approached from behind Remiel, slinging an arm around his shoulder. He whispered in his ear, “See something you like?”

Remiel startled, turning a wide-eyed stare toward the older boy. “I’m just looking,” he said.

Zak grinned. “Your eyes are really green.” He reached around Remiel to pick a fist-sized gem off the counter. He held it up beside Remiel’s face. “That’s what I thought. They’re the color of this rock.” 

“That’s an emerald,” said Remiel. He tilted his face away from the gem. Zak still had his arm around his shoulder, so he couldn’t go far. 

“And it’s expensive,” said the merchant, coming over to them. “Not a plaything.” 

Casually, Zak leaned on Remiel and tossed the gem into the air. The merchant and Remiel’s eyes widened, tracking the gem up and back down, where Zak caught it. 

“How much?” Zak asked.

Sputtering, the merchant said, “M-More than a brat like you can afford! Return it, or I’ll be forced to summon a guard and have you arrested for theft!”

“Zak, put it back…” Remiel said, uneasy at the thought of getting in trouble with Marut security.

“I asked how much,” said Zak stubbornly. “How dare you think I can’t afford something just because of how I look.”

The merchant made a sour face. “Eighty-five cores of gold.” 

Zak dropped the emerald on the table like it had burned him. “ _Fiends_! For a cut piece of glass!?” 

The merchant picked the gem up and examined it, checking for any damage. He polished it on his shirt before placing it back on the table.

“Go play somewhere else, little boys,” said the merchant, glowering at them before he returned to the wealthy patron, who had been watching the whole interaction with a smug smile.

Remiel slipped out from under Zak’s arm, but grabbed his hand to make sure he followed him away from the stall. Zak came along easily, though he gave the merchant one last dirty look before they were past.

“He had to have overpriced that rock,” he said, catching up to Remiel and walking close to his side. 

“Some, but not much.” Remiel opened his hand, expecting Zak to pull away from him now that they were far enough from the stall, but the other boy didn’t. Zak held Remiel’s hand tucked close between their bodies. 

It wasn’t… unpleasant. It made it easier to stay together in the crowd. That was probably why Zak did it. Remiel relaxed his fingers, letting them curl back around Zak’s hand. He felt his cheeks warm, and he was glad the striped fabric overhead tinted his skin in green and yellow, hiding the flush under his bronze skin.

They casually walked through the market for a while, just browsing, not going near enough to any stall to closely examine the items being sold. Every once in a while, Zak would lean in to point something out to Remiel, speaking low in his ear. Remiel smiled and nodded every time, barely noticing the item Zak spoke of, because the other boy just smelled _so good._

“-and that is my home,” finished Zak, snapping Remiel out of his reverie. 

“What?” He looked where Zak was pointing, to the second level apartments over a tavern. “There?”

“Uh huh.” Zak squeezed Remiel’s hand. “Let’s go up. Zoph’ll be here soon.” He led the way around the back of the building, pulling Remiel behind him.

They climbed a wooden staircase and walked past the first door. Zak let go of Remiel’s hand while he unlocked the second door. He pushed it open and then stepped back dramatically. “Welcome to my home.”

Remiel entered, examining the clean space. There was a small stove near the entrance that looked like it had never been used. A lounge filled with cushions and pillows spread before a wide window. There was another wide window in the bedroom through the door to the right, with a broad pallet bed laying on the floor. Zak also had a bathing room with full plumbing. 

“This is a nice set up,” said Remiel, impressed. “How can you afford it?”

“There aren’t many people willing to live above a tavern like the one downstairs. They focus on live music every night and give a lot of amateur performers a chance. Not all of them are good.” Zak walked over to the lounge and flopped down amid all the soft pillows. “When I got this place, I had a lot of night shifts at the hospital, so it didn’t matter.”

“And now?” Remiel walked over to the window, gazing out at the busy street below. Since there weren’t as many markets in this area, it wasn’t as crowded, but there were still a lot of people walking by.

“I like the atmosphere,” said Zak. “Plus, if I have to, I can sleep through just about anything. One of the unintended benefits of being a healer.”

Remiel looked back at Zak. “You use your healing energy to help you sleep?” Sophie had done that for Alex before, but she had never seemed willing to use it on herself. Sedation could be unpredictable if not carefully controlled.

“No, of course not,” said Zak. He glanced over his shoulder at his wing, then reached back and quickly fixed a stray feather. “After a few quadruple shifts, I started falling asleep anywhere, even if it was for only five minutes. I fell asleep on the reception desk once, and Lanat just kept checking people in over my body. When I come home, if I’m tired, even terrible music isn’t going to keep me awake.” Zak smiled up at Remiel. “The musicians playing tonight are actually pretty good, though.”

“Oh?” Remiel walked over and sat near Zak. 

“We’ll go down there tonight with Zoph. You’ll see.” Zak smiled at Remiel, then leaned toward him, resting his chin on his hands among the pillows. “So, why do you do it?”

Even though he had an idea what Zak meant, Remiel asked, “Do what?”

“The piercings.”

“It’s fashion,” Remiel answered. It was his standard answer, the one people would either nod along with like they understood, or make some comment about it being stupid.

Zak tilted his head, watching Remiel intently with his amber-woven brown eyes. “You don’t really think I’m that dumb, do you?” he asked.

Remiel furrowed his brow. “I don’t know you well enough to say if you’re dumb or not.”

“Well, I’m not. At least not when it comes to people hiding things.” Zak reached out and tucked Remiel’s hair behind one ear. He gently touched the four gold rings pierced through the earlobe.

“What makes you think I’m hiding something?” asked Remiel, not moving away from Zak’s light touch. 

“We’re all hiding something, Rem.” Zak’s eyes focused on the piercings. “This looks like it hurt.”

“If done properly, it’s quick. Doesn’t hurt at all.” 

“And if they get snagged and ripped out?” Zak gave a small tug on the lowest ring. Remiel twitched his head with the move, trying not to think too much about how it felt, even though his eyes lost focus for a second.

“I heal fast,” Remiel breathed, feeling a little light-headed.

“I bet,” Zak murmured. He gave Remiel a knowing smile. “When do I get to see the other piercings?”

Remiel swallowed hard. He didn’t know what to say, but a knock on the door saved him from needing to figure out an answer.

Zak pulled his hand away from Remiel’s ear and stood. “That’s probably Zoph.” 

“Y-Yeah,” Remiel lay back in the cushions, trying to clear his head. He reminded himself that he had everything under control. He was good at diverting people from learning personal details about himself. This was not a problem. Zak was just Sophie’s friend. Nothing more. 

_Stop stressing about it._

Except, he hadn’t been prepared for Zak’s touch, and the wonderful way his skin and hair smelled. 

Remiel rubbed his eyes and scolded himself while Zak opened the door. Sophie’s chipper voice rang out, “I’m home!” 

“It’s amazing you didn’t take another shift,” said Zak, welcoming her inside.

“I thought about it, but we got caught up. Besides, I had to come. I didn’t want you boys to be bored without me.” 

“We would have found something to keep us entertained,” Zak said while closing the door.

Sophie came over and flopped down beside Remiel. “Hey, babe. Sorry I’m late. Did you have fun with Zak?”

Remiel rubbed his eyes a couple more times, then lowered his hands and looked at Sophie. “You date him?” he asked.

“For the sweethearts,” Zak quickly explained.

“Oh,” she said and nodded. “Yeah. Did you try one?”

“Yeah,” Remiel grumbled.

“Aren’t they delicious?” She smiled at him, pressing her body against his side.

Remiel sighed. Maybe he was overreacting. “Yeah, they were good.”

Zak came back over, sitting next to Remiel’s hip and looking down at them. “Rem and I walked the markets for a while,” he said. “We haven’t eaten yet, but I was thinking we could go down to the tavern tonight. Eat there, listen to some music, maybe have a couple drinks. Come back up whenever.”

Sophie lay her head on Remiel’s chest and looked up at Zak. “You remember we’re both still in the academy, right? Only seventeen.”

“I am aware, but as long as neither of you goes around talking about it, everyone will assume you’re close to my age,” said Zak. “Though, I know the proprietor pretty well, and I don’t think we’ll have any trouble either way.”

“And you’re still okay with us spending the night?” she asked.

“Of course.”

Grinning, Sophie pushed off Remiel’s chest and stood. “Well, I need to get cleaned up if we’re going out. Give me a few minutes.” She walked into Zak’s bathing room, closing the door behind her. 

Zak placed a hand on the other side of Remiel’s body and leaned over him. He smiled down at the bronze-skinned boy who lay sprawled among his pillows. “You alright with that?”

The angle was too intimate, like Zak was about to lean down and kiss him. Remiel’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. “It’s fine,” he said. His voice cracked. 

Zak’s smile widened. “Good. I think tonight is going to be a lot of fun.” He stood up then, walking toward his room. “I’m going to change shirts. When Zoph is ready, we’ll go.”

“Yeah,” Remiel muttered. He lay in the pillows and stared up at the ceiling, wondering exactly what Zak’s definition of fun was.

***

They arrived in the tavern shortly after the band started playing. The music was upbeat, and there were several couples on the dance floor already. Sophie bounced up and down happily, squeezing Remiel’s hand. She loved dancing.

Zak found a table for them, then went to the bar and ordered food and drinks. He came back with three mugs and handed them out. “Here we go, drinks for everyone. Food will be out soon.” He sat on the bench across from Remiel at the small, round table.

The liquid in the mug had a strong, astringent smell. “What is this?” Remiel asked, peering suspiciously inside.

“Marula juice. It’s fine. It tastes better than it smells,” said Zak. Sophie took a sip while she watched Remiel, trying to hide her smile behind her mug.

“It smells like alcohol,” said Remiel.

Zak grinned. “Nothing gets past you, huh?” He held up his mug, bumped it against Remiel’s, then drank.

Skeptically, Remiel sipped a small amount of the fermented drink. He coughed. “That’s _strong_ ,” he gasped, feeling it burn down his throat. Sophie giggled into her mug. 

“It’s Terran grade,” Zak explained. “Though I’m sure, since you’re an Ahnnak, it won’t affect you much.”

Remiel sat the mug on the table. “Are you trying to get us drunk?”

“Oh, come on Remi,” said Sophie. “Don’t be so uptight. We’re just having fun tonight, okay?”

“I’m not uptight,” he muttered, and took another small sip of the alcohol. He felt the warmth spread through his belly.

While they waited for the food, Sophie talked about her day. Remiel tried listening to her, but a lot of the conversation was beyond what he understood of the medical talent. Zak had no problem keeping up, though, and eventually, Remiel just zoned them both out and listened to the band. He kept taking little sips of the marula juice, and by the time the food arrived, his mug was almost empty.

“Another round?” asked the waiter. 

“Please,” said Zak, and he flipped him a silver coin. The waiter bowed and left. Zak started eating from the arrangement of spiced roots and nuts on the wooden platter, graciously eating one piece of each, as if they were at a formal party. Since he paid, it made sense that he would lead the meal. Remiel had never been to a formal event before, and he didn’t think Sophie had either, but they had learned the etiquette in class. Sophie seemed pleased to get to play along. 

The spice on the roots was almost too intense. Remiel drained the rest of his drink before the next round arrived, and when it was sat before him, he quickly took a drink of that, too. 

“Too spicy for you?” asked Zak.

“Just wasn’t expecting it,” Remiel gasped. His whole body felt warm, and it wasn’t just because of the spicy food. 

“I can get you something else,” Zak offered.

“No, I’ll be fine. I think the boy I watch would really like this food, though.”

“You should bring him over sometime,” suggested Zak, then he and Sophie resumed talking about the current patients at the hospital.

Remiel ate a little slower, careful not to let the heat linger on his tongue. The food was good, but it made him drink faster than he had intended. 

“Oh, I love this song,” Zak said suddenly, drawing Remiel’s attention back to the table. “Come dance with me, Zoph.”

“Sure!” She took his hand and stood, smiling wide.

“You don’t mind, Rem, do you?” asked Zak. 

There was that little surge of jealousy again. Remiel shoved the rising feeling back down. “Course not,” he said. “I don’t mind.”

“Great. We won’t be gone long.”

The two Terran healers went to the dance floor, blending in with the crowd. Remiel watched and continued to drink the marula juice. Zak and Sophie danced like they belonged together.

Maybe they did.

Though Remiel had been with Sophie for nearly two years, he just wasn’t part of what she did as a healer. He didn’t understand it, not like Zak did, and the more her life became about healing, the less important Remiel felt he was to her. 

Considering how little Sophie actually gained from dating him, maybe she belonged with someone she had more in common with. Someone like Zak.

Remiel tried not to let his mood sour. He drank more of the marula juice. It was strange. He could barely taste the alcohol in it anymore. When he finished that mug, he took Sophie’s second mug, which she had barely touched before going dancing with Zak.

Remiel lost track of how long Sophie and Zak danced. When they finally returned, Sophie sank onto her seat, fanning her flushed skin with her wings. “I’m done. Can’t dance anymore. I’ve been on my feet all day, and I need a break.”

“Oh, come on, this is another good song,” said Zak, grinning. He had an energetic gleam to his eye, even though he looked flushed, too.

“Take Remi,” said Sophie. She slipped off her shoes beneath the table. 

“No, I don’t dance,” he said quickly, as Zak approached.

“You liar. You dance wonderfully,” Sophie said, betraying him. “Go on. Just let me relax a little bit. I want to finish my drink.” She looked into her empty mug and frowned. “Or order another.”

“Great,” said Zak. “We’ll be back soon.” Before Remiel could protest again, Zak had his arm and was pulling him toward the dance floor. The unsteadiness of the room made Remiel realize that maybe he had drank just a little bit too much.

When they reached the dance floor, Zak spun Remiel out, and then spun him back in. The room kept spinning as Zak caught Remiel in his arms. He held the Ahnnak against his chest, looking into his eyes. “You ever dance with a man before?” Zak asked.

“No.” Remiel held onto Zak, because he wasn’t certain he could keep his balance if he didn’t. “Not even sure I can do it now.”

Zak tilted his head with a moment of confusion. Then he grinned. He leaned in close to Remiel’s ear and asked, “Are you drunk?”

“Definitely not,” Remiel stated. “Just… maybe a little off balance.”

Zak laughed. “Okay. Don’t worry, Rem. I won’t let you fall. Just follow my lead.” He kept Remiel close and began moving to the music. Even though it was hard to focus on his feet, Remiel found it easy to follow alone with Zak’s movements. Their bodies stayed close together, and Zak’s hand on Remiel’s hip helped guide him any time they shifted direction. 

Once they fell into a comfortable rhythm, it was actually kind of fun. The music was good, too.

When the tempo changed, Zak and Remiel stayed on the dance floor. Zak pulled Remiel in closer as the music slowed, pressing their hips together, guiding the younger boy in the slower dance. 

Remiel’s skin felt flushed. He leaned his face against Zak’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “You smell nice,” he said, the words escaping through the haze in his mind.

“So do you,” the Terran murmured, letting his hand slip lower on Remiel’s hip. They danced that way for a while, swaying with the music. 

When the song ended, the band announced they were going to take a short break. Everyone started to leave the dance floor, but Zak didn’t release Remiel right away. It was almost like he didn’t want to let go. Remiel finally had to step back, parting from the older boy. “We should see how Sophie is doing,” Remiel said. He held onto Zak’s hand, only because if he didn’t, he would definitely trip over something. 

It was just to be safe. 

Absolutely not because he liked holding his hand.

Zak smiled and led the way back. Sophie had another round of drinks on the table, and she was eating the last few pieces of spicy food from the platter.

“We’re back,” Zak announced, sitting and pulling Remiel down onto the bench with him. “Your boy is drunk, though.”

“What?” asked Sophie, giving Remiel a wide-eyed look of surprise. “You only had three drinks!”

“I am not drunk,” Remiel insisted. “You’re drunk.” He swayed a little.

Sophie frowned and touched Remiel’s forehead. The warm glow of her healing energy briefly reached into him. She pulled back. “Yeah. You’re drunk, babe.”

“He’s a lightweight,” said Zak. “Not a bad dancer, though.”

“Right? Told you.” Sophie smiled at Zak. “I suppose he doesn’t need the drink from the last round I ordered. You want it?”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Remiel said. He grabbed one of the full mugs on the table and pulled it to him. He drank some of it before Sophie could try to stop him.

She sighed, looking kind of annoyed. “Don’t be childish, Remi. I can’t reverse alcohol saturation. You’ll have to burn it off yourself.”

“He’ll be fine, Zoph,” said Zak. He put his arm around Remiel’s shoulders and pulled him close. “Isn’t that right, Rem? Though I wish you would have told me you were a lightweight before.” Zak borrowed Remiel’s mug and drank some of the alcohol within. Okay, a lot of the alcohol. It was nearly empty when Zak handed it back to him. 

“Wouldn’t know,” said Remiel. “Never drank before.”

“Never?”

“Remi is a well behaved boy. He always follows the rules,” said Sophie. 

“That’s not why,” Remiel replied, frowning at her. Sophie just rolled her eyes and took another drink.

“Well, what do you two think of the band?” asked Zak, changing the subject before they could start to argue.

“I like them,” said Sophie. “Are you going to want to dance more?”

“I think I’m good for now.” Zak patted Remiel’s chest. “Need to keep an eye on this one for a moment.”

Sophie smiled. “You know… You two looked pretty good out their dancing together.” 

Remiel felt his cheeks flush. Not much embarrassed him, but having his girlfriend compliment his dancing with another boy did. 

Zak grinned. “I look good dancing with everyone,” the older boy bragged. “Though it might be fun to try again when Rem can stand on his own.” 

“I can stand on my own,” Remiel insisted, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Oh? Then you want to come dance with me?” asked Sophie cheerfully.

“Sure.” Remiel started to get up, but the room tilted. Zak’s hand on his waist was the only thing that kept him from falling, but Remiel’s wing snapped out and nearly knocked one of the full mugs over. Sophie caught before it could spill. 

Pulling Remiel back down, Zak said, “Let’s stay a moment. You two can dance later, after the band returns.”

“I’m fine,” said Remiel, but he leaned back against Zak’s chest and closed his eyes. The room felt too hot. With the spinning, he needed to sit still, just for a few moments. Then he’d be okay.

“Aw, you’re so cute when you’re drunk,” Sophie giggled.

“Not drunk,” Remiel grumbled.

“Hey, Rem, what else did you eat today?” asked Zak.

Remiel motioned to the empty platter on the table. “Some of that. Couple sweethearts.” He put his hand back down.

“That’s all?” 

Nodding, Remiel said, “Alex has been difficult lately. I spent all morning trying to get him ready to stay the night in Gabriel’s room. I guess I forgot to eat.”

“That may be why the marula wine is affecting you so much,” Zak observed.

“Why didn’t you just leave Alex with Uzzi?” asked Sophie. “It’s one night.”

“Because Alex is upset about something, and until he’s ready to talk about it, I don’t want him to hurt anyone.” 

Sophie huffed. “Alex isn’t a danger to anyone. He’s the sweetest little boy ever.”

“He wouldn’t do it on purpose,” said Remiel. “He just needs a couple more days to adjust to being back, then he’ll be fine. Uzzi understands.”

“You worry too much, Remi,” said Sophie. 

“Maybe I don’t worry enough,” retorted Remiel. “I mean, shouldn’t I be worried about you screwing Zak, since it’s obvious you both want to?” The accusation slipped out. It was unintentional, and Remiel regretted it as soon as he said it.

Sophie glared at him. “You’re the one laying in his arms right now,” she snapped. “What does that say about you?”

“That I’m drunk,” he replied sharply. 

“Alright, calm down, both of you,” said Zak. He patted Remiel’s chest. “Everyone has had a bit too much to drink tonight. Zoph, can you order more food for us? Make sure you get some bread. Maybe eating will help Rem.” 

“Fine,” Sophie said, disgruntled. She got up and walked barefoot across the room.

Zak looked down at Remiel. “And you shouldn’t drink anymore. Okay?” He took the mug from Remiel’s hand and sat it on the table. 

“You’re not the boss of me.” Remiel reached for the mug, but Zak caught his wrist. He was gentle, but unyielding as he brought Remiel’s hand back to his side. 

“No more,” Zak said firmly.

Remiel tilted his head so he could look up at Zak. “It’s my body. I can do what I want.”

“Is that why you do this?” Zak’s thumb grazed over Remiel’s nipple piercing through the thin fabric of his shirt. 

Remiel sucked in a sharp breath as an electric jolt shot through his body and wings. “F-Fuck.” He started to sit up, but the room spun out of control.

Zak easily pulled him back against his chest. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” He curled his arms around Remiel’s waist from behind. “I won’t do it again. Just relax. I didn’t realize you were so sensitive.”

“Not cool, Zak,” Remiel grumbled, feeling too hot all over. He gradually eased back into Zak’s arms now that the older boy seemed content to just hold him.

“I know. I’m sorry,” said Zak. He gently patted Remiel’s belly. “So is that why you do it?”

“Do what?” 

“The piercings.”

“It’s fash-”

“Fashion, I know. I heard that excuse already, Rem. Is it because it makes you so sensitive?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

Remiel’s brow furrowed. He made a fist, looking at the gold rings encircling his fingers. “It’s everything I own.”

“What?”

Remiel shook his head and put his hand back down. “Nothing. Forget it. My head hurts. I don’t want to talk anymore.”

Zak sighed. “We’ll get you some bread and you’ll feel better.”

A few minutes later, Sophie came back over with a bowl of bread rolls. “They’ll bring out the rest when it’s done. Here, Remi, you jerk.” She shoved a warm roll at his face.

Blinking rapidly, Remiel took the bun and held it. “What did I do?” he asked.

“You think I’m sleeping with Zak.”

“I didn’t say that…”

“No, you were a lot more crass about it,” she huffed, sitting down at the table. “Why would you even think that?” 

“You’re always smiling at him, and you look so happy when you’re together, I thought…”

“You thought what, Remi?”

“That you’d be happier with him than me,” admitted Remiel. “Especially because you’re both healers.” 

Zak’s hands went very still on Remiel’s stomach, but he didn’t say anything. Sophie furrowed her brow. “I love you, Remi, but damn it, you’re really dumb sometimes.”

“Sorry,” muttered Remiel. He hadn’t meant to make her angry, and he felt bad about it. They were supposed to be out having fun tonight, not arguing in front of the entire tavern.

She shook her head, her untamed hair bouncing around her. “You’re lucky you’re so pretty. Just eat your bread.”

Remiel nodded and started eating the warm roll to appease his girlfriend. It gave him something to focus on rather than the way the room tilted and swayed. Gradually, the bread started making him feel a little less queasy, too.

Sophie drank and watched him for a bit, still looking angry. When he finished one roll, she handed him another and said, “Zak understands how much you mean to me, even if you don’t. I can’t believe you’d think I wanted to be without you just because I’m close with someone I work with.”

“Zoph, he’s drunk,” said Zak. “Go easy on him.”

“He’s not _that_ drunk,” she said. “Besides, he needs to hear this.”

“Not right now, he doesn’t. Save it for when he’s sober. Give him a chance to respond properly.” 

A waiter approached the table and dropped off a small platter of seared fruit. Zak thanked him, but everyone else was quiet while the Homm cleared the empty platter and mugs from the table.

When the waiter walked away, Sophie said, “Fine. I’ll talk to him later, but I want you there with us.”

“We’ll see. I think there are some things that need to be discussed in private.” He rubbed Remiel’s belly. “How’s that bread?”

“It’s good,” he replied. “I feel like I’m missing half the conversation, though.” 

“Don’t worry about it right now,” said Zak. “Hey, tell me about some of the clothing you’ve designed. Zoph said you made her a dress?”

Part of Remiel knew Zak was trying to distract him, but the thoughts in his mind were so fuzzy, he couldn’t hold on to whatever the conversation had been about five seconds ago. Clothing, however…

“It had pockets,” Remiel said, smiling. 

For a while, Sophie and Zak let Remiel ramble about the Descendants dress he made last year. He knew every stitch of that dress by heart. He went into a detailed description of the fabric and construction. Zak asked questions like he was actually interested. 

When Remiel mentioned tying the ribbon to one of his rings and hiding it in the pocket before giving Sophie the finished dress, she smiled. She looked down at her thumb and touched the gold ring she always wore. 

“I love you, Sophie,” gushed Remiel, too drunk to contain the emotion. He held his hand out to her. 

Sophie took his hand and placed three light kisses against his open palm. “I love you, too, Remi.” She smiled at him, then laced their fingers together.

For the next hour, the three of them talked and ate. Even when the music resumed, Remiel stayed in Zak’s arms, and Sophie held his hand. He used the alcohol clouding his mind as an excuse to relax and feel happy.

***

The sun blared through Zak’s window like it was trying to beat Remiel’s brains out through his eyes. He groaned and brought his wing up over his face to block it out. The arms, legs, and wings entangled with his body adjusted for his new position, then everyone went back to sleep.

For about five seconds.

“Shit!” Remiel sat straight up, staring outside. The sun was high, blazing with relentless intensity. Remiel clumsily crawled across Zak’s body, kneeing the older boy’s stomach and waking him with a grunt. 

“More sleep, Rem,” Zak groaned, reaching out for him. 

“What’s wrong?” muttered Sophie, raising her head. They’d been sleeping on either side of Remiel, curled against his body. 

“It’s morning,” Remiel explained, squinting out the window. “It’s almost noon.”

“Yeah, I know.” Zak scratched at his bare chest and closed his eyes. “We were out half the night.”

“Come back to bed, Remi,” urged Sophie. “I don’t have to work until this evening.” She was still wearing a wrapped tunic and all her skirts, but they’d hiked up to show most of her pale leg and hip. Remiel looked down at himself then. 

“Where’s my shirt?” he demanded. 

“You said you were hot. You threw it somewhere over there.” Zak motioned toward the opposite corner of the room, not even bothering to open his eyes.

Remiel stomped over there and tossed fabric aside until he found the linen tunic he had been wearing yesterday. He _never_ took his shirt off around other people. What had happened last night? 

It was all a blur. He remembered going to the tavern, eating some spicy food, and drinking alcohol. After that, his memories became patchy. 

“I have to go,” Remiel said. He jerked the tunic on over his head, pulling it down over his folded wings. He extended them through the gap in the back. 

Zak opened his eyes, squinting against the bright light. He pushed himself up, the muscles in his toned chest and arms rippling with every movement. “Why?”

A flood of memories hit Remiel as he remembered those arms wrapped around him on the dance floor. At the table. Outside the tavern, supporting him up the stairs. In bed. 

Remiel realized Zak had held him nearly all night, and he never once thought to ask the older boy to stop. His skin burned with embarrassment. He should be ashamed of himself. He was dating Sophie, but she had been right there. She had slept curled against Remiel’s chest, her wing draped over the bodies of both boys.

“I’m late,” Remiel said, more to remind himself that he couldn’t stand there all day trying to figure out what was wrong with him, just as he couldn’t crawl back into the inviting bed between the two Terran healers. “I have to get back to the academy.”

“ _Remiel_ ,” Sophie groaned, exasperated. “Alex isn’t going to starve to death if you leave him alone for a day. 

“They’re expecting me. I have to go.” He looked for his shoes, but he didn’t see them in the room. 

“I’ll walk you out,” said Zak when Sophie pulled a pillow over her head. He got up and followed Remiel out of the bedroom. 

Remiel found his shoes with the other pairs by the door. He hopped on one foot while he tightened the laces. Zak leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, watching.

When Remiel got both shoes tied, he straighted out his clothes, trying to appear presentable even though this was yesterday’s outfit. “Nothing, um, happened, right?” Remiel asked, still looking down while adjusting his shirt.

“Like what?”

“You know, um… I was pretty out of it.”

“You weren’t that bad. A little off balance, maybe.” 

“I don’t remember a lot.” 

“Honestly, I’m surprised the marula wine affected you so much. Don’t worry, though. You didn’t do anything embarrassing, like strip in public or kiss me.” Zak grinned. “You waited until we were home before you did that.”

“I did?” asked Remiel, feeling his stomach drop.

“Oh, yeah, your shirt was off as soon as we got in the room.”

Remiel chuckled nervously. “Right. That.”

Zak pushed off the wall and walked over. “What did you think I meant?”

“N-Nothing.” Zak wasn’t much taller than Remiel, but standing so close, Remiel had a hard time looking him in the eye. The fact that Zak didn’t have a shirt on, and Remiel could still remember the feel of his bare skin against his own didn’t help. “I need to go.” 

“You don’t, really,” Zak said softly. “You could come back to bed with me and Zoph. Sleep a little more.” The Terran tucked Remiel’s hair behind his ear and touched his earrings. “I’d love to have the chance to examine all your piercings in the light of day.”

Remiel stepped away from Zak’s touch, backing toward the door. “You know Sophie is my girlfriend,” he said cautiously. Remiel wasn’t sure if he was warning the other boy about keeping his distance from Sophie, or from him. 

“I’m aware, Rem. I’m not going to do anything inappropriate.” Zak sighed and rubbed his eyes. He sounded tired still. “Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. It was just nice spending time with people outside of work.”

Now Remiel felt guilty. Zak had paid for everything last night, and let Sophie and him sleep at his place. He’d been nothing but friendly and courteous, and Remiel was accusing him of… Well, he didn’t even know what he was accusing him of. It wasn’t fair to Zak to blame him for all the confusion swirling in Remiel’s head. 

“Sorry… I just… I’ve got to go. Thanks for everything last night, and for letting us crash here.”

“No problem.” Zak opened the door for Remiel. “You’re welcome over anytime.”

Backing out, Remiel said, “Thanks, but I probably won’t have any free time once classes start back up.”

“Sometimes, you’ve got to make time for yourself,” said Zak, smiling warmly. “I’ll see you around, Rem.”

“Yeah, see you.” Remiel left the apartment, taking the stairs down and out to the street around the front of the tavern. He glanced back once and thought he saw a face in the window watching him, but it could have been a trick of the shadows. 

Still feeling uncertain about everything, Remiel flew back to the academy to take care of Alex and Gabriel for the remainder of the weekend. 

As expected, Gabriel yelled at him for being late. It was going to be a long weekend.


	102. Barachiel: 19th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

The Archridge Hunt was welcomed back as the champions of the Summer Hunt. It wasn’t as chaotic as when they arrived after the Winter Hunt, but a cheering crowd of people waited for them outside the enclave. There would be a celebration tonight, and another when the Homm members of the team returned tomorrow, but Barach didn’t care. He walked beside Lorcas as the captain smiled and waved at all his screaming fans, even though Barach just wanted to leave. No one Barach wanted to see was waiting for him in that crowd.

They finally made to it the enclave, and Duke stopped any of the students from following the team in. He shut the door when the last of the Terran and Ahnnak members of the Hunt were through. 

“Shit, I’m so tired of championship games on the other side of E’din,” groaned Hul, dropping his pack on the stone.

“Don’t complain,” Ombri said, but he looked just as exhausted.

Duke walked up to Barach and patted his shoulder. “Thanks, again,” he said, giving him a tight smile.

“Don’t mention it,” Barach replied. Duke was the only member of his squad that had been able to fly back. The Homm were expected to travel in the carriages, but Tek, the Terran weapon on his team, had been injured enough that he rode back, too. 

It had been partly Barach’s fault. Well, no, he’d just been following orders. It had been Lorcasiel’s fault, but Barach had been the one on the ground. It would have gone a lot worse if he hadn’t been.

The beast of the championship game was a hulking bull mammoth. It had been easy for the team to track, but it was easy for the other two Hunt teams, as well. Most the injuries sustained this time came from skirmishes with the other people, not the beast, though it caused plenty of damage on its own. 

By the time Archridge had all four tags in, so did Salt Lake and Highpoint. The game came down to who could get the kill first. The mammoth didn’t make it easy. None of the Terran or Homm weapons could get past its curved tusks. It attacked with a primal rage that seemed strange in a herbivore of that size. 

Of course, Lorcas had a plan.

Unfortunately, that plan involved Barach pissing the mammoth off. 

Barach landed before the mammoth and threw rocks at its head. Ineffective at hurting it, but it made it mad. The beast charged, and Barach ran across the forest floor faster than he’d ever run before. Titan and Cariel’s squads intercepted any pursuing teams, while Duke’s squad waited ahead.

Except something went wrong. Barach and the mammoth reached Duke’s squad faster than they were prepared for. Tek barely got a spear lodged in the mammoth’s side before the beast spun and smashed him into a tree. Ku-Vox ran to help the injured Terran, but the mammoth fixated on him. It charged, and the Homm bruiser had to pivot and flee. He shot past Barach, yelling, “Oh shit, oh shit.”

With a similar feeling, Barach turned and ran with Vox as the mammoth barreled down. The ground shook and trees cracks as the beast gained on them. Barach didn’t have time to get in the air. 

Suddenly, the forest opened up and they were at the edge of a cliff. Vox skidded to a stop in the dirt, but Barach didn’t pause. He ran straight off the edge, grabbing Vox as he passed, and the beast followed. 

Vox screamed until he realized Barach had hold of him. Barach’s wings were spread, allowing them to glide as the mammoth fell. It was a long way down. 

“Follow it,” said Vox, fingers digging into Barach’s arms.

“You’re kidding,” Barach said, breathing hard.

“We have to confirm the kill or someone else can claim it.”

Barach wasn’t aware of any rules like that, but Vox knew more about the Hunt than him. The Homm had been following the game his whole life. He was probably right.

They flew down to the beast at the bottom of the chasm. Barach dropped Vox when they were close enough the Homm wouldn’t get hurt by the fall. Vox landed and walked up to the Mammoth. Thankfully, it was dead. 

Vox pulled the spear Tek had embedded in its side out, and used the point to open the beast’s neck. Barach looked away, but he could still hear the sound of the blood splashing onto the ground.

With that, the Archridge team was declared the champions of the Summer Hunt.

“I know we’re all tired from our flight back,” said Lorcas, standing on a stage before the gathered team in the enclave. “This game was rough, and we sustained a lot of injuries, but you all did well. I’m proud of the effort everyone put forth this season, and you deserve a break. Enjoy the celebrations over the next few days and rest. We’ll begin off season training again after classes resume, but until then, you’re all dismissed.” He hopped off the stage as a few exhausted cheers rang out. The team dispersed, some people going toward the locker rooms, others leaving the enclave all together.

Lorcas approached where Duke and Barach stood. “You going to the celebration tonight?” the captain asked them.

“I’ll be there,” said Duke. He patted Barach’s shoulder again. “Once I get out of these filthy rags. See you guys later.”

“Later,” said Lorcasiel. He turned to Barach after Duke left. “What about you?”

“No, Captain,” answered Barach. “I’ll pass this time.” 

“I didn’t see Erem out there.”

“He’s probably not back yet,” said Barach. He always felt uncomfortable talking about Erem in public, especially with someone who knew how much the blue-skinned boy meant to Barach. Just a slip of the tongue, and Barach’s secret could be exposed. He didn’t think Lorcas would do it on purpose, but it still made him uneasy.

“You spent last night alone,” said the captain. “You shouldn’t spend tonight alone, too.”

“I won’t,” said Barach. 

“No?” Lorcas raised an eyebrow.

“I need to check on Gabriel. He’s still recovering.”

Lorcas huffed. “He wasn’t cut that bad. Bring him to the celebration.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Lowering his voice, Lorcas said, “You know, he’s welcome to come. We protect our own, Barach.”

“I know, but… It’s not that easy.” 

“Nothing with the Prince ever is,” scoffed Lorcas. “Just keep it in mind.”

“I will, Captain. Thank you.” 

Lorcas gave Barach a casual salute and went over to speak to Vice-Captain Cariel. Barach dropped his Hunt weaponry off in his locker then left the enclave. The cheering crowd was gone, many of them already celebrating in the dining hall. Even with fewer students at the academy, the party would be extravagant. 

Barach wasn’t sad about missing it. He didn’t need cheering crowds or adoring fans. Last night, after the game, he had refused all the offers from groupies willing to share his bed. None of them interested him. The only person he wanted to share a bed with was Erem, and he was still gone. 

Even though Barach knew Erem would still be at the beach, he stopped by their shared room to check, just in case Erem had returned early. He hadn’t. Everything was just as Barach had left it. Empty. He missed his boyfriend.

They had separated for the Harvest with an argument. Barach chose to remain with the Hunt, and Erem resented that choice. It was the worst fight they’d had in months, but Barach refused to back down. He had planned on flying out to the beach after the championship game was over to make it up to Erem, but now…

Now Gabriel was back, and he was hurt. 

Nothing had changed with the silver-haired Ahnnak in the months they hadn’t spoken. Sure, the effort Gabriel put into his appearance made him seem more mature, but he was just as much of a stubborn ass as he had always been. He still had trouble asking for help, but right now, Barach knew Gabriel needed him more than Erem needed him at the beach. Barach just hoped Erem would understand when he finally came back. Maybe the fact that Barach and Gabriel were speaking again would be enough for Erem to forgive him.

With that hope in his mind, Barach made his way up to Gabriel’s room in the advanced curriculum dorms. He could already hear the commotion in the lower levels of the academy as the celebration began, and he was glad he was missing it. 

***

Barach knocked once and entered Gabriel’s room. The silver-haired boy snapped down his inked quill, splattering black spots all over his parchment, and snapped, “Remi, I swear on the Isten-” He stopped when he looked over and saw it was Barach. “Oh. It’s you. How’d your game go?” He picked up his quill and went back to writing.

“We won,” said Barach. He held up the basket he’d found outside the door. It was filled with food and a scrawled note that said, _Eat it_. “You know, I asked Remi to take care of you while I was gone.”

“Next time, don’t bother. He’s been in a nasty mood all weekend. He actually had the nerve to talk back to me when I asked if his girlfriend dumped him.”

“Did she?”

“No, but you wouldn’t know that from talking to him.” He flipped a page in his book and started writing more notes. 

“You should be nicer to him,” Barach said, walking over to stand behind Gabriel. “He’s Ahnnak, and he’s reliable.”

“Half the reason Remi is useful is because his girlfriend is a healer. If he loses her, what’s the point of keeping him around?”

“Alex likes him.”

“Yeah, well, Alex doesn’t get a say in everything.”

From the sparse information Barach had been able to extract from Gabriel, he was able to figure out that the injury he currently suffered from was, in part, Alex’s fault. It seemed unlikely that the little boy would do anything to hurt anyone on purpose, but he was young. Mistakes happened.

Since returning, Gabriel seemed a little more short tempered with his little brother than usual. Then again, it was probably just the pain he still endured. It would take him a couple more weeks to be fully healed, without the aid of a healer, and he needed to rest in bed more. 

“What are you working on?” Barach asked, leaning over Gabriel’s shoulder.

“History. Vivi is going to be out for a month.”

“He was hurt that bad?”

“No. Sera stopped by yesterday and said they’re sending him home to recover, at his parents’ insistence. Something about the healer stationed at the colonist reserve being more reliable.”

“Just sounds like they’re worried about him.”

“Who cares if they’re worried? Do you know how inconvenient it is that he won’t be here when classes resume?”

“Gabriel, he took a knife for you.” 

“So? There’s a test the second week of class, and I’m going to be pissed if he’s not back and I miss something.”

The relationship Gabriel had with the Terran boy was strange. Sometimes, it seemed like Gabriel actually cared about Vidiel. He casually called him Vivi, and had admitted to having a physical relationship with the boy. Then, other times, especially when he was irritable, Gabriel could barely say his name without snarling in disgust.

It wasn’t just the boy, though. Gabriel had a lot of girls who came to check on him after he was stabbed, and he was gracious and polite in their presence, but the act dropped as soon as they left. He seemed to dislike them all, even though they clearly idolized him.

Barach didn’t know why Gabriel was putting himself through this when it made him so miserable.

“Why don’t you take a break. Come eat with me,” said Barach. 

“Don’t you have a party to go to?” 

“Do you want to go to the party?”

“Hell no.” 

“Then, no. I’m staying here with you. I’m not interested in being out tonight, anyway. Too tired after flying back from Crown Peak.” Barach sat on the bed, raising his wings so he wouldn’t accidentally sit on them. He pulled the basket to him and started rummaging through the fruit and breads. He chose a peach. 

Gabriel got up and walked over. His movements were still stiff. He grabbed the top loaf of bread like he didn’t really care what he ate. “You get hurt this time?” Gabriel asked as he sat on the end of the bed.

“Nah. I managed to stay out of the mammoth’s range.”

Gabriel’s silver eyebrows raised. “A mammoth?”

Nodding, Barach said, “He was a beautiful beast. Incredibly strong. Smashed Tek through a tree and broke nearly every bone in his body. He’ll be fine, though. He’s being treated by healers, and won’t take months to recover.”

Gabriel scowled and tore a chunk off his bread. “I’m not going to a healer.”

“What about Remi’s girlfriend? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

“Barach. Seriously. Stop asking.”

“Fine, but how’s your chest?” 

Gabriel touched his ribs, where the knife had cut deepest. “Healed. A little tender, but barely noticeable.”

“A cut like that should have fully healed by now, but you’re wasting so much of your energy trying to mend the damage in your back, it’s slowing everything down.”

Rolling his eyes, Gabriel said, “I’ll be healed before classes resume. That’s all that matters.”

“It’s not. You need to take care of yourself. You can’t keep getting hurt.”

Gabriel’s ice-blue eyes narrowed. “I did just fine without you coddling me.” 

“Pissing off a girl enough to get her to stab you is not doing fine,” said Barach.

“Not my fault. She’s crazy.”

“She’s not. She had every right to be upset. You lied to her and used her. Just like you’re doing to Vivi, and Tephrin, and Neramis, and-”

“Ugh, enough,” Gabriel stood up, moving away from the bed. “You on her side now?”

“I’m always on your side, Gabriel, but it doesn’t mean she was wrong to be angry with you.”

“I don’t need you harping at me. I’ll do what I have to do.”

“And what are you going to do the next time someone attacks you?”

“I can defend myself,” Gabriel insisted. 

“Well, then, what would you have done if she’d gone after Alex instead?”

Gabriel turned sharply, his eyes filled with rage. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“It’s not a joke,” Barach said. “You make enough enemies, and they’ll go after your weaknesses. _Alex_ is your weakness.”

“He’s not,” Gabriel growled, and began pacing the room like a caged beast, muttering to himself. His wings spasmed and twitched as he walked, whether from pain or irritation, Barach didn’t know. 

Barach finished the peach and tossed the pit into the trash on the other side of the room. “Yeah, he is. Anyone who sees you two together would know it.” 

“Fuck you,” Gabriel sneered. “No one would dare hurt Alex.” As he said it, his pacing slowed and stopped. Suddenly, Gabriel just looked very tired.

Barach lay back on Gabriel’s bed, putting an arm under his head. “I’m not trying to upset you, Gabriel. You just need to be careful.”

“I am careful.”

“I know you well enough to be able to see through your lies.” He patted the bed beside him. “Come sit. Watching you pace is making me tired.”

Gabriel walked over, though his brow was still creased. “I don’t need a matron, Barach.”

“No, what you need is a bodyguard. Just someone to follow you around and smack you when you’re about to do something stupid.” Barach was only half joking.

Gabriel sat on the bed. “I’m fine on my own.”

“You’re not on your own, Gabriel.” Barach grabbed him and pulled him down to lay beside him on the bed. “You’ve got me. You’ve got Erem. We’re your friends. We’ll protect you.”

Without the strength to resist, Gabriel complied with only a little grumble. He adjusted and stretched out beside Barach, resting his head on his shoulder. 

“No one asked you to,” Gabriel muttered. He closed his eyes.

“Sometimes, I do things because I want to,” said Barach. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

After a few moments of silence, Gabriel said, “You know I’m not going to have sex with you.”

“Good. You’re not my type,” Barach responded.

Gabriel’s eyes opened, the blue vibrant so close. “You like boys. How am I not your type?”

“Too whiny,” Barach answered, smirking at the offended look on Gabriel’s face.

“I don’t _whine_ ,” complained the silver-haired boy. “Erem whines more than I do. Why’d you pick him, anyway?”

“Why him, and not you?”

Gabriel hesitated a second, and then nodded. 

“Easy. He’s Ahnnak, and he likes boys, too.”

“That’s it?”

“No, Gabriel, it’s not. But you have to understand, I’ve known I liked boys for a long time. My mother was the one who told me it was unacceptable for an Ahnnak, after she found out I touched the auroch to try to impress a boy in my class.”

“Wait, that’s why you did it?” Gabriel asked, pushing himself up onto his elbow. He looked down at Barach, his silver hair hanging in a shimmering sheet on one side. He was awfully pretty sometimes, when he could keep his mouth shut.

“It was. She had him and his family transfered to the other side of E’din before I came back, in order to ‘remove temptation,’ as she called it.” Barach sighed. “I don’t even remember his name or what he looked like. He was just a Terran, though, so it’s not like it would have worked out.” 

“Terran aren’t that different than us,” said Gabriel.

“But what’s the point falling in love with someone that’s going to die in a few hundred years? They’re a waste of time.”

“If you really thought they were a waste of time, you wouldn’t be so devoted to the Hunt,” Gabriel pointed out.

“Hey, I joined the Hunt to protect you from Lorcas.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and laid back down. “I don’t need protecting from that jerk. I can handle him on my own.”

“Yeah? He told me how you blew up a crystal in his face. Also, how you froze his hand to the desk just before the break.” Gabriel grinned, obviously pleased with himself. Barach shook his head disapprovingly. “If I weren’t still on the team, he would have beaten the shit out of you again.”

“He can try, but I’m not helpless. I can defend myself.”

“Right,” Barach scoffed. “Listen, Lorcas is probably the only Terran I would say this about, but he’s stronger than me.” 

Gabriel snorted. “Yeah, right.” 

“I’m serious. I’ve been training with him for months, and I have yet to beat him. I’ve barely been able to hit him. He’s always just one step ahead of me, like I’m not even worth his effort. He’s good, Gabriel, and you wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”

“Sounds like you have a crush on him,” Gabriel teased, a hint of venom in his words belying his true feelings about the matter.

“I respect him,” said Barach. “There’s a difference.”

Gabriel lay his arm across Barach’s chest, getting comfortable. “So it’s only Erem for you then?”

“I don’t need more than him. I don’t even want more. I would be happy spending eternity with Erem.”

“Fiends, Barach, when did you get so sentimental?” jeered the silver-haired boy.

“Shut up,” Barach replied, poking Gabriel’s side. He flinched a bit at Barach’s touch, but Barach was careful not to harm him. “I’m not heartless, unlike some people.”

“Emotional attachment is a waste of energy,” Gabriel said, not even trying to deny the accusation. 

“So is refusing the aid of a healer,” retorted Barach.

“Don’t start.”

“Fine. But there are easier ways than suffering.”

“Maybe I deserve to suffer,” Gabriel muttered.

Barach looked at his friend. “What?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Nothing. I just don’t want to answer any questions about how it happened. I’ll be fine soon. It’s easier this way.”

“It’s not easier, Gabriel. Nothing about this is easy. Maybe I could help-”

“You can’t. Don’t try. You’ll just make it worse.” Gabriel rubbed his cheek against Barach’s shoulder like he had an itch and was too lazy to scratch it with his hand. He settled down again, his body leaning heavier against Barach’s side. “I’m tired, Barach. You should go to your celebration. Let me sleep.” Despite his insistence, Gabriel didn’t move.

“I’m where I want to be. Besides, you don’t get to tell me what to do.” Barach gently rested his hand on Gabriel’s waist.

“Don’t bitch if I drool on you,” mumbled the silver-haired Ahnnak, already being dragged down by exhaustion. 

“I never would,” Barach replied softly, listening to Gabriel’s breathing slow and even out. His friend was pushing himself too hard, even though he rarely left his room. Studying wasn’t as important as giving his body a chance to recover.

Gabriel needed someone watching out for him. Even if he was too stubborn to admit it, he needed help. Barach patted Gabriel’s waist softly, with no plans of leaving his side any time soon.


	103. Alex: 24th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

“I’m glad you’re back,” Alex told Nakia as he lay under her bed up in Imperial housing. He rolled a painted, wooden ball back and forth between his hands, listening to it rumble across the stone.

The princess leaned over the edge of the bed and peered down at him. Her black braids hung straight down, almost touching the floor. “You don’t have to hide under there, little bird.”

“It just feels better right now,” he said. 

“Are you hiding from Uzzi?”

“No,” Alex lied. He glanced up at Nakia. “Maybe a little.”

“But he’s your best friend.” She flipped off the bed and lay down on the floor so she could watch Alex in the shadows beneath the bed. 

“I already feel bad about it, but I need space. I miss Isa.” When Nakia’s eyebrows raised in question, Alex quickly added, “Not like that. I just mean, when Isa is around, Uzzi and him can play with each other, and they leave me alone. Well, most of the time. But Isa isn’t back yet, and Uzzi is bored.”

“So you ditched him?” 

“I didn’t ditch him. I just left the room without telling him while he was still asleep.” Alex caught the ball, looking at the little scratches the stone floor was putting in the paint. He should probably stop. He didn’t want to ruin any of Nakia’s toys from home.

“That’s ditching him, Alex. Uzzi was probably worried when he woke up and found you gone. He’s probably looking for you still.”

“I know,” Alex sighed. “I just can’t do another day of him wanting to be so close to me.”

“Why not? I thought you _liked_ Uzzi.”

“Just as a friend,” Alex muttered, resting his chin on the ball. He looked out from under the bed at the princess. “Why can’t I just be friends with him?”

“Because he likes you, too, Alex.” She said it with the worldly experience of a child who was a whole year older than him. “When you like someone, you’re supposed to want to spend time with them. Hold their hand. _Kiss_.”

“I don’t want to kiss anyone.”

“You don’t have to be scared, Alex. It’s not that bad."

“Well, have you kissed anyone before?” Alex asked grumpily.

“N-Not exactly. I mean, not someone I like. There was this girl behind the woodpile who I kissed, but we were just playing.”

“That sounds like a terrible way to play,” Alex grumbled, and he rolled onto his back, hiding further under the bed. 

Nakia crawled under the bed with him, the dagger on her hip scraping against the stone floor. She lay next to him and asked, “Did something happen when you went home?”

“I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

“It’s just you and me here. You know I won’t say anything.” She propped her chin on her hands so she could look down at him.

Alex raised his shoulder to adjust his wing so it lay a little more comfortably beneath him. “I know you won’t, but I still can’t talk about it.”

“None of it? You can’t even tell me what you ate while you were there?”

“I don’t know. My brother was really mad at me, and I think he’d be angry if I said anything at all.”

“So, you got in a fight with your brother? Isn’t that normal?” Nakia picked up the wooden ball Alex had left at the edge. “I fight with my brother all the time. One time, he hit me with a stick, so I chased him down and made him eat grass.”

“That’s not very nice, Nakia.”

“He deserved it,” she insisted. Then she frowned and looked down. “It’s not like I’d do it now, Alex. We were both little. I kind of miss him now.” 

“Didn’t you see him went you went home?” 

Nakia looked sad. “I only went to the border. There isn’t enough time to go all the way home during the Harvest, and he didn’t come with the envoy. My aunt was the only one who came. She said everyone else was too busy.” The princess sighed heavily. “It was still fun, but I thought they’d want to see me.”

“Maybe they were just busy. Your parents are the King and Queen of Phunet. That seems pretty important.”

“Yeah, but your dad is an Isten, and he made time for you, didn’t he?”

Alex tensed, the thoughts of Jequn making the space under the bed feel suffocating. “I’m not supposed to talk about it,” he whispered.

“You can’t talk about your dad?” Alex shook his head. “Is it because you can’t reveal his secrets, since he’s an Isten?”

“Something like that,” Alex said bleakly. 

“Alright, well, I won’t ask anymore. I don’t want to get you in trouble with E’din.”

“What’s it like outside E’din?” asked Alex.

“I’ve only been in E’din and Phunet, but they’re not so different. Don’t know about the rest of the world, though.”

“Tell me about Phunet, then.” 

“What do you want to know?” Nakia asked. 

Alex shrugged. He didn’t know. He just wanted her to talk. 

“Okay, well… We’re nearly all Homm there. We don’t see many people like you, and when we do, it’s usually because they’re visiting my parents. There’s an Isten that visits, like, once every hundred years, but she came a few years before I was born, so I don’t know if I’ll ever meet her. She comes to check on the factory.”

“What factory?”

“The one that makes the glass the Isten use in their buildings and technology. My great-great-grandparents were put in charge of keeping it running, and that’s why we’re royalty.”

“Over glass?” Alex asked, wrinkling his nose.

Nakia poked Alex’s arm. “Glass is important. I’ve seen some of the things the Isten request to have made at the factory, and it’s amazing.”

“But does your family have to be royal to take care of it?”

“We take care of more than just the factory. It’s the whole kingdom. It takes years of training to produce the things the Isten need, and it’s not something just anyone can do. We need the most skilled people from every generation, and so, we have the university that focuses on training them. But then people need to eat, so we’ve got farmland to care for and people who work there. Then everyone deserves to be happy, so the entertainment-”

“I get it,” Alex said, interrupting her ramble. “It’s like it’s your family’s job to take care of the people.”

“Well, yeah. What else is a kingdom but its people?” Nakia shrugged. “That’s why I’m here. When I’m grown up, I’ll be the contact with the Terran and Ahnnak. I need to have diplomatic and cultural ties to E’din. My _husband_ -” she rolled her eyes at the word, “-will be someone who can help me maintain connections to the nearby Homm kingdoms. Probably Jerama, because a lot of our silica is imported from there, but, ugh. I’ve seen the sons. They are _not cute_.” 

“So you’re going to marry a boy, even though you like girls?”

“It’s difficult,” said Nakia, pouting. “My aunt says I could pass up ruling and let it all go to my little brother, but then what’s the point of me being at the academy? I miss home, but I’m not ready to leave all my friends at Archridge yet.”

“I thought you hated it here,” said Alex.

Nakia smiled down at him. “Parts of it are growing on me.” She reached over and tapped his nose. “Come on. Let’s go down to the dining hall and get something to eat.” 

With a little more coaxing, Alex finally crawled out from under the bed and walked down with her.

***

“Dagger, you’re back!” Nenghi shrieked and ran over to embrace the Homm princess as soon as they entered the dining hall. 

“Froggy,” gasped Nakia. “Can’t- Breathe-”

“Oops, sorry,” said the Terran girl, smiling wide as she let go. “I just missed you so much. Does this mean you can come to my dance performance?”

“Sure,” said Nakia. “As long as someone is going to walk with me to Marut.”

“I’ll go,” Alex offered. He didn’t mind walking places. 

“You’re going to come to my dance, too!?” Nenghi exclaimed happily. She held out her hand to Alex, and they casually went through the complex handshake, ending with the frog eating the moon.

“If that’s okay,” Alex said.

“Of course it is! Oh- Oh! Maybe you can even come to some of my practices.” Nenghi bounced up and down. “You could dance, too!” 

“I don’t think I can dance,” said Alex.

“Everyone can dance, New Moon. It’d be so much fun!” Nenghi was so happy, Alex didn’t want to say no. He just didn’t feel comfortable doing anything that brought attention to his body. She saw his hesitation and she said, “You don’t have to perform on stage. You could just dance with me in practice.” She spun around, crossing her hands over her head in a dramatic snap. She held the pose for a second, then lowered her arms, smiling happily. 

“I’ll think about it,” Alex said. He enjoyed spending time with Nenghi. She made everything fun, and rarely made him feel uncomfortable, but she had a lot of other friends. She was always busy.

Uzzi jogged across the dining hall toward them. “There you are,” he said breathlessly. “Why did you leave without waking me, Alex?” He gave Nakia a curt wave. “Hey, Dagger. Welcome back.”

“Thanks,” she said. 

Alex stared at the floor. “Sorry. I couldn’t sleep.”

Worried, Uzzi softly asked, “More nightmares?”

He had been having nightmares, but that wasn’t why. Alex stood there silently, unable to bring himself to tell Uzzi that being near him made him feel kind of sick. 

“It’s okay, Alex. I’m here for you,” Uzzi reached out and took Alex’s hand.

It was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but Uzzi’s warm touch, and the gentle way his fingers curled around his hand made Alex remember Jequn’s words. 

_What are you going to do, Alexiel, when they find out what you really are? What you’ve done?_

_The moment you let yourself get close to anyone, they’ll know._

Alex jerked away from Uzzi, feeling miserable at the hurt look on his friend’s face. “Don’t touch me,” he whispered, taking a step back. “Please.”

“I’m sorry, Alex. I didn’t mean to upset you.” The two red circles of Uzzi’s eyebrows bunched together. “You can tell me if I did something wrong.”

“It’s not you,” Alex whispered, his lip trembling. _It’s me_.

“Inferno, give him a little space,” said Nakia, stepping forward. “We haven’t eaten yet. You know how emotional Alex gets when he’s hungry.”

Uzzi frowned at bit, not looking convinced, but he said, “Yeah, alright. Alex, do you want me to get a platter for you?”

Alex sniffled a bit, fighting back tears. “Yes, please.” 

“I’ll go with you,” said Nakia. To Alex, she said, “Save me a seat?”

He nodded and went with Nenghi as Uzzi and Nakia walked toward the kitchen. They sat at a table that had two platters on it already. One was nearly finished, but the other looked like it had barely been touched. Nenghi sat at the nearly empty platter. “That’s Inferno’s,” she said, pointing to the full one beside her.

Alex sat on the opposite side of the table. He folded his arms on the wood and buried his face in the darkness. He didn’t feel good. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing to get himself to calm down. 

“You know, New Moon,” said Nenghi, speaking at a normal tone, which was quiet for her, “you’re only in charge of your own happiness.”

Alex peered over his arms at her. “What?”

“It’s something my Amma said. It means… Well, for example, I love dancing. It makes me happy, but it makes some of my friends sad because I’m not around them as much. But I don’t stop dancing, because _I’m in charge of my own happiness_. No one else is going to understand why I need to do it, and they don’t have to.”

“But I don’t dance,” said Alex.

“No, no, that’s not the point. Okay, um, see, I dance, and it makes me happy. You… You’re happiest when you’re with Uzzi.” 

“I am?” asked Alex. He didn’t feel very happy right now.

Nenghi nodded. “He makes you smile and laugh more than anyone. And if…” She paused, thinking about her words carefully. “And if being with him makes you happy, even a little bit more than anything else, you shouldn’t let anyone stop you. Not even yourself.”

Alex rested his chin on his arms, frowning a bit as he looked at her. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”

“But it could be,” Nenghi replied, smiling wide. She finished eating the rest of the food on her platter, but she stayed until Uzzi and Nakia returned. When they arrived, she stood and said, “I’m headed in to rehearsal in Marut. See you all later!”

“Bye, Froggy,” said Nakia, claiming the seat Nenghi vacated. The Terran girl bounced from the dining hall.

Uzzi placed Alex’s platter before him, then sat at the full platter on the other side of the table. “I got an extra rotika for you,” said Uzzi. He didn’t look at Alex, but down at his food.

“Thank you,” Alex replied, picking up one of the warm puffs of bread. He ripped a piece off with his fingers and nibbled at it.

The atmosphere at the table was awkward. Uzzi picked at his food, not really eating. Nakia looked between the two boys, frowning. She dug her elbow into Uzzi’s side, and he flinched in pain, turning toward her with a glare. 

“ _Talk to him_ ,” she hissed impatiently. For a moment, they glared at each other, communicating through expressions Alex couldn’t keep up with. He could tell that Nakia eventually won.

Uzzi scowled at her, and turned to face Alex. “I’m sorry for not giving you space,” he blurted. “I know I can be a little, um…”

“Clingy?” Nakia suggested helpfully.

“Fine, _clingy_ sometimes, but I didn’t mean to make you sad,” said Uzzi. “I just like hanging out with you.”

“And…?” prodded Nakia.

Uzzi made a face at her, “And, if you ever need space again, just tell me to back off. I’ll leave you alone, as long as you promise you won’t run off and hide from me.”

“I wasn’t hiding from you,” Alex said.

“You were under my bed,” Nakia reminded him. “You two are friends. You need to talk to each other.” When Alex started to argue, Nakia quickly interjected, saying, “Not about everything. But setting up boundaries and respecting boundaries is important. Alex, you like being Uzzi’s friend, right?”

“Yes.”

“And Uzzi, you understand that sometimes Alex needs to be alone, and it has nothing to do with whether he likes you or not, right?”

“Yeah, I understand that, but-”

“Good. Then the next time Alex needs space, you can go read a book or something.” Uzzi frowned at her, but she continued, undaunted. “And when Alex is ready to hang out again, he can come find you. Is that acceptable?”

Both boys looked at each other, then Alex nodded. Uzzi sighed. “I’ll try.”

“Great,” said Nakia, looking very pleased with herself. “Now, about Froggy’s performance. What should I wear?”

“More weapons?” Uzzi suggested, picking up a rice ball and taking a big bite of it.

“Ha, ha. I mean, how formal is it? Should I dress up in full ceremonial garb? Or just something casual?”

“Which option has you wearing more dead stuff?” asked Uzzi.

Nakia wrinkled her nose at him. “I sent the mantle back with my aunt. I’m not wearing any more furs in E’din.”

“Good. You smelled like a beast every time you wore that thing.” 

“So you’ve been kind enough to tell me,” said Nakia, and she flicked a berry at Uzzi. It hit him in the cheek, leaving a wet, purple stain. She covered her mouth in surprise, and he turned to stare at her, equally surprised. “Diplomatic immunity,” she whispered, wide-eyed. Then she got up and ran. 

“Not a chance, Princess!” Uzzi exclaimed, picking up a handful of food and chasing after her. They made a lap of the dining hall before they returned to where they started.

Laughing, Nakia cried, “Alex, save me!” She hopped over the table and hid behind the black-haired boy.

Uzzi jumped onto the table, spreading his wings. “No one can save you now!” he exclaimed dramatically, then started throwing food at Nakia. 

Alex covered his head with his hands as globs of food sailed past him. Nakia ducked low behind Alex, still laughing. She reached around him and grabbed a handful of baobab seeds from his platter. Then she stood up and started pelting Uzzi with them. 

The fiery-haired boy staggered back like he’d been impaled. He stepped on one of the trays, slipping and falling. The tray shot across the table, knocking Alex’s platter into his lap.

Alex stared at the food that covered his clothes. “Oops,” Uzzi said, sitting on the table where he fell, completely unharmed.

“Oh, Alex, are you okay?” Nakia asked, leaning around him.

Alex scraped the food off his clothes with both hands, looking at the gooey mess. He stood up, wings opening behind him. “If it’s a battle you want,” he said, raising his black gaze to look at Uzzi and Nakia, “then it’s a battle you’ll get.” He wiped one hand off on Nakia’s face, and then leaned over the table and did the same thing to Uzzi. 

For a second, they both just stared at him. Then Nakia blinked rapidly. A grin spread across her face. “Oh, it’s on.”

By the time the kitchen staff came and kicked them out of the dining hall, all three of them were covered in food and laughing. They got sent to the office, but Alex didn’t care. He’d had fun. He felt better, like the weight he’d been carrying with him since going home had lifted.

When Remiel showed up to collect them, he lectured them at length about wasting food and making messes. Even that wasn’t bad, because every time Alex, Nakia, and Uzzi would catch each other’s eye, they’d dissolve into a fit of giggles.

Eventually, Remiel gave up and sent them all off to the baths. Nakia returned to her room, waving cheerily. 

“See you tomorrow!” she exclaimed.

Alex and Uzzi waved to her, then Remiel pointed toward the baths. “Go,” he commanded sternly. “Don’t come back out until all the rice is out of your hair.” 

Uzzi trudged off, but Alex remained with Remiel for a moment. “Hey, Remi?”

“What, Alex?” the older Ahnnak said, looking annoyed.

“I want to start dancing,” he said.

Remiel’s expression softened. He tilted his head, looking down at the little boy. “Dancing?”

Alex nodded. “Not performing, but Froggy has a group that practices in Marut. I’d like to go and see what it’s like. I know it’s in town, and you said I couldn’t go there without you, but it’s only for a couple hours every few days, and you wouldn’t even have to stay with me, but… I’d like to try.”

Remiel crouched down so he was even with Alex. “Of course, Alex. I’m here to help you. I’ll support you any time you want to try something new.”

Alex smiled, ducking his head. “Thanks, Remi.” He glanced up through his lashes. “I’m going to go bathe now. I think I’ve got mashed pear in my ear.”

Remiel laughed, his green eyes bright. “You guys are so much trouble. But you want to know a secret?” Alex nodded. “A little trouble is okay sometimes.” Remiel gave him a wink. “Go on.” He stood and waved Alex off toward the baths.

Alex ran after Uzzi, wondering if it really was okay for him to try to be happy.


	104. Gabriel: 30th Degree of Harvest, 595 DE

Gabriel stood in front of his mirror, checking his hair one more time. He was ready, he was just stalling. It was the end of Harvest. Classes resumed tomorrow. He couldn’t keep using the healed cut on his chest as an excuse not to leave the room.

Baring his teeth in disgust at his reflection, Gabriel turned from the mirror and left the bathing room. He had promised Barach he would join him for dinner tonight. Erem had returned with his sister this afternoon, and they were planning on surprising the blue-skinned boy by eating dinner together. 

Unfortunately, that also meant they would be eating with the Hunt. Gabriel didn’t know if he was ready for any of this, but he wasn’t a coward. He wouldn’t let any of them intimidate him. He couldn’t hide anymore.

His back was healed enough that he rarely felt the pain. Every once in a while, a jolt would catch him off guard, but it was rare. Nothing he couldn’t tolerate, especially with other people nearby. He would show no weakness tonight.

Exhaling heavily, Gabriel straightened his clothes one last time, and went down to join the Hunt for dinner. 

***

When Gabriel landed on the stone foyer closest to the dining hall, he heard Barach’s voice further ahead. 

“Please, just wait a moment, Erem.”

“I’m hungry, Barach, and I’m tired. I don’t want to stand out here and talk to you. If you wanted to talk, you should have come to the ocean with me.”

Gabriel stepped around the corner in time to see Barach reach out and grab Erem’s wrist as the blue-skinned boy started to walk away. Erem spun, producing his knife in his other hand, which he pressed to Barach’s throat.

Barach didn’t release Erem. He leaned into the blade, letting the sharpened metal nick his skin. A droplet of blood rolled down his chest, absorbing into the dark sash draped from his shoulder to hip. Both boys stared at each other intensely, the atmosphere around them charged like they might fight or kiss. Gabriel couldn’t tell which.

“Am I interrupting something?” Gabriel asked, walking forward with a confident stride. 

Erem’s blond hair was paler, bleached from a month in the sun and salt water. He smelled like the ocean. He pulled his knife away from Barach’s throat, spun it around, and concealed it again. Gabriel had yet to be able to figure out exactly where Erem kept his knife, or even if it was the only one, but he always expected to blue-skinned boy to have some sort of weapon on hand. 

“We were just talking.” Erem jerked his wrist out of Barach’s grasp. When Gabriel stopped beside them, Erem’s wings tensed as he suddenly realized what was happening. He looked between Gabriel and Barach while the two Ahnnak stood beside each other, watching the blue-skinned boy with similar amused expressions.

“Now that we’re all here,” Barach said, using his sash to wipe the blood from his throat, “let’s go eat.”

“Wait, you two are _talking_ again!?” Erem exclaimed. 

Barach gave Erem a tight smile. “Not as long as you and Gabriel have been, but yes.”

Erem grinned sheepishly, bowing his head a bit. “Sorry. I didn’t want to say anything while you were practicing for the Summer Hunt. I was going to tell you. Eventually…”

“I forgive you for hiding it from me.” Barach paused, looking up at the ceiling before he said, “I realize I may be difficult to talk to sometimes.”

Erem laughed. “Yeah, _sometimes_.” He turned to Gabriel. “When did it happen?”

“After I returned from home. I got hurt. Barach has been helping me.”

Erem’s yellow eyes widened. “Is that why you didn’t come out to the beach?”

Nodding, Barach said, “I wanted to, but Gabriel needed me.”

“I didn’t _need_ you,” Gabriel responded dryly. Barach gave Erem a look that clearly expressed the opposite. Gabriel huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would have understood,” said Erem, gazing up at Barach. “I wouldn’t have been so mad at you when I came back.

“We wanted to surprise you,” he replied, smiling down at his boyfriend. It was still strange to think of the two of them in a relationship like that. With time, maybe it wouldn’t seem so weird.

“This is the best surprise,” said Erem, grinning. He bounced a bit, his wings fluttering with excitement. “I’m so happy. Are you going to eat with us, Gabriel? We can sit at a different table-”

“No,” said Barach. “We’ll eat with the Hunt. Gabriel is going to sit with us, too.”

Erem’s brow raised. “He is? Even though…”

“It’s already been approved. Besides, there was an incident over the break. You remember Oriel?”

“Yeah,” Erem said, already wary of whatever Barach was about to say.

“She tried to kill Gabriel. Attacked him with a knife in the dining hall.”

“That little whore!” Erem shouted, furious. “I always hated her! I told you she was bad! I’m going to find her, and I’m going to-”

“Erem.” Barach reached out, putting his hand on the blue-skinned boy’s shoulder. “She’s been expelled. No chance of returning to Archridge ever.”

“It’s not enough,” Erem said, lip curled back in disgust. “For attacking an Ahnnak, she should have been beheaded.”

“That’s a little extreme,” said Gabriel. “It wasn’t that bad of a cut.” He didn’t really care about what happened to Ori now that she was gone, but an execution seemed like too much for anyone. He didn’t want someone dying because of him. As long as he never had to see her again, that would be enough.

Barach said, “If we eat with the Hunt, it’s unlikely that something like that will happen again.”

Erem scoffed. “Unless one of your teammates does it.”

“They won’t,” Barach insisted. “We protect our own.”

“Still don’t trust them,” Erem said, which was a fact Gabriel completely agreed with. Erem turned to Gabriel and asked, “Where’d she cut you?” Gabriel drew the line across his chest with his finger. “Are you healed?”

Gabriel nodded. “Can’t even see the mark.”

“Oh.” Erem sounded a little disappointed. 

“Come on, let’s go eat,” said Barach. He patted Erem’s shoulder again, then led the way to the dining hall. Erem happily fell in step beside Gabriel. 

Even though it was nice being with his friends again, Gabriel couldn’t ignore the nervousness he felt about sitting down to eat with the Hunt. For the past two years, one of his personal goals had been to be as far from any Huntsmen as he could at every moment of the day. It wasn’t that he was scared of them beating him up again, it was just that he didn’t have time to waste dealing with them. He had more important things to do, like study.

They entered the dining hall. It was loud and crowded, since nearly every student had returned in preparation of classes resuming in the morning. Gabriel felt several dozen pairs of eyes fixate on him. It was unnerving, but he wasn’t about to show his discomfort. He raised his chin, walking proudly alongside his friends.

The Wild Hunt filled the tables in the back quarter of the dining hall. They walked toward it, passing chattering students. Gabriel wasn’t sure what the current rumors about him were, but he suspected even all the returning students would know about the stabbing incident by morning. He overheard a few people whisper his name as they passed. He even heard several more say that stupid designation some of the girls had come up with. _Prince_. What romanticized bullshit. He hated being called that, but at least most people had the decency not to say it to his face.

“Hey, Prince,” said Lorcas, leaning back on his bench and blocking Gabriel’s path with an extended wing. “I thought you were dead.”

Sera smacked his shoulder. “Be nice,” she scolded. She gave Gabriel a soft smile. “We’re all glad you’re better. Come sit with us.” 

Barach stood on the other side of Lorcas’ wing, waiting for his captain to allow Gabriel and Erem to pass. “There’s no room,” Barach said. “We’ll go sit at the end.” He pointed over his shoulder to the less crowded section of the table.

“Don’t be silly,” Sera said brightly. “I insist.”

“You heard her,” said Lorcas. “It’s only fitting for your first night back alive.” That was absolutely not what Gabriel wanted to do, but he felt like refusing would not be a good start to the new alliance. Lorcas folded his wing and leaned forward. “Besides, Ombri and Hul are almost done.”

“We are?” asked Ombri, looking down at his full platter. Hul elbowed him in his ribs. “We are,” the Terran quickly corrected. 

“Ah, we’ll go sit with Duke’s squad. Ku-Vox is always good for a laugh,” said Hul. He picked up his platter. The girl beside him, who Gabriel realized he recognized, got up with him. It was Lavela, one of the girls Gabriel used to study with in the library. 

She smiled demurely at him and said, “I think it’s awful what Ori did. I’m glad you’re okay. I never took her side after you broke up with her. A lot of us didn’t.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel said, returning her smile. Maybe something good could come from being stabbed after all.

Ombri was a little more disgruntled about leaving the table, but he followed Hul after giving Lorcas one last irritated look. “You owe me.” 

“Sure.” Lorcas waved him away with a dismissive flick of his wrist. 

Barach shifted uncertainly, looking between Gabriel and Lorcas. “Then… I guess we’ll go get our food and come back.”

“Oh, Gabriel is still recovering,” said Sera. “He doesn’t need to be walking around and standing in line. You and Erem can get food for him, right?” She stood, taking Lorcas’ hand to keep her balance as she stepped over the bench. Little bells on her anklet jingled with her delicate movements.

“I’m fine,” Gabriel said, a little annoyed by her assumption that he was still weak. 

Sera smiled at him and linked her arm his. “Nonsense. I’ll walk with you to the other side while Barach and Erem go get food. Right boys?”

Erem frowned at her, brow furrowed. “You’re awfully bossy for a girl.”

She put her hand on her hip, staring Erem down. “And you’re awfully rude. Is getting an extra tray of food too difficult for you?”

Sneering, Erem lunged at her, and Barach grabbed him fast, pulling him away from the table. “We’ll be back,” the older Ahnnak said, keeping hold of Erem until they were across the room.

“Come along,” said Sera, undaunted by Erem’s aggression. She walked with Gabriel around the long table. “You know, I’m really sorry about everything that happened. I never expected Ori to react so emotionally. None of us did. It was terrible what she did to you.”

“It was,” Gabriel agreed, “but it was worse what she did to Vivi.” 

The members of the Hunt watched the two of them as they walked by. Gabriel recognized a lot of people at the tables who were not part of the Hunt, but seemed to be dating or friends with someone who was in the Hunt. 

The twins, Juniel and Joniel, waved at him. He waved back. It had been long enough since he talked to them that he couldn’t tell them apart anymore. 

Sera smiled at them and kept walking, not pausing long enough for the girls to say anything to him. They rounded the end of the table and started back down the other aisle. “Vivi will be okay,” she said. “I checked on him before he went home. He was doing much better, but he’s still having trouble breathing. They think the tip of the knife might have chipped off and is loose in his lung. The knife was iron, so he should be able to reabsorb it in a couple months, but he’s going to stay home until he’s better.”

“A couple months?” Gabriel said, not needing to fake the dismay in his voice. 

Sera nodded. “The colonist reserve, where his dad works, still has functioning breathing pods, and if it’s too painful for Vivi, they’ll be able to admit him to a pod to lessen the strain on his body.”

“They should just cut it out.”

Sera chuckled, like she thought he was joking. “I don’t think they want to cut through his chest if they don’t have to. Vivi is such a darling boy. I can tell why you like him.”

“Sera-”

“Yes, I know. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.” She winked at him conspiratorially. “Well, here’s your seat.” She nudged Gabriel toward the empty bench as Lorcas watched the two of them from the other side of the table. 

The captain of the Hunt swallowed the food in his mouth and asked, “You’re not going to walk all the way back around, are you?”

“What do you have in mind?” Sera asked, swaying and swishing her skirts back and forth.

Lorcas stood and held his hand out to her. She placed her delicate hand in his, then stepped up onto the bench and table with a jingle of her anklet. Both of them ignored the yells of the kitchen staff from the other side of the room. Sera walked between the trays of food to reach the other side, where Lorcas grabbed her hips and lifted her down. They kissed lightly, which Gabriel was absolutely disgusted to see, and then sat together at the table.

“So,” Lorcas said, picking up a sliver of citron pith, “you finally made up with my bruiser.”

“Barach isn’t _your_ anything,” Gabriel replied, taking the middle seat on the bench. 

“Be nice to him,” Sera said to Lorcas.

“I am being nice,” Lorcas replied. “If I was being mean, I would ask why it took half a month to heal from a little cut, or if the Silver Prince was just milking it to be a distraction for _my_ bruiser.”

Irritated, Gabriel said, “I take it you’re prepared for Elemental Sciences tomorrow. You’ve been practicing, right? You can hold your ice sculpture for more than two minutes, _right_?” He looked at Sera sympathetically. “Is that pretty standard for him? Two minutes, then everything goes limp, and you’re left with a disappointing puddle while he makes pathetic excuses about why he couldn’t keep it up longer?”

“You little-” Lorcas lunged forward to grab Gabriel, but Sera put her hand on his chest, holding him back. Gabriel sat up straighter, feeling his heart race, and he was very glad there was a wide table between them.

“Calm down,” Sera said. She looked at Gabriel. “Both of you need to play nice. We are happy to have you sitting with us, but the dining hall is not the place for crude or violent talk.”

“Sorry,” said Gabriel, faking an apologetic tone in his voice. “That was inappropriate. I shouldn’t have been so rude, after you’ve been kind enough to invite us to eat with you.” He looked down contritely. “I guess I’m just… stressed. I’ve been so worried about Vivi that I haven’t been sleeping well.” 

“Aw, Gabriel, that’s totally understandable,” Sera fawned.

“It’s bullshit, is what it is,” Lorcas griped. “You can fake cry all you want, baby, but if I ever catch you alone again-”

Sera cleared her throat loudly, turning to give Lorcas an incredulous look. “Gabriel is Barach’s friend. Since when do you threaten the friends of your teammates?”

“I-I’m not threatening him,” Lorcas said, looking a little abashed by Sera’s reprimand. 

The lean girl on the opposite side of Lorcas was watching the exchange with an amused smirk. “That sounded like a threat to me,” she said.

Lorcas turned sharply and snapped, “No one asked you, Cariel.”

She laughed and went back to her conversation with the other people at the table.

Sera smiled sweetly at Gabriel. “Don’t worry. Lorcas is just talk. You’re safe with us.”

Gabriel doubted that, but he smiled at her anyway. “Thank you.”

When Barach and Erem returned, they sat on either side of Gabriel, giving him the extra tray. “You okay?” Barach leaned in and whispered.

“I’m good,” Gabriel said, flashing him a quick smile.

As difficult as it was to enjoy a meal while sitting at a table with Lorcas, it was amusing to see the Huntsman rebuked by the girls around him. Gabriel remembered why he had wanted to be friends with Sera in the first place. 

With Barach and Erem at his side once more, Gabriel ate in peace, surrounded by Huntsmen who had been nothing but a threat to him for years. Led by Sera, the conversation remained light and civil, and even Lorcas stopped sulking to join in after a while.

It wasn’t terrible. Maybe this new alliance wouldn’t be so bad after all. 


	105. Remiel: 6th Degree of Justice, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While out with Alex, Remiel discovers the truth about what's going on with Sophie and Zak.

Alex enjoyed going to Nenghi’s dance class, however he was still too shy to remain on stage when the instructor began teaching. He could get all the way through warm-ups with the other kids now, but past that, he panicked. He scampered off stage to watch the remainder of the lesson in the shadows with Remiel.

They’d only been going for two weeks, so Remiel felt even that much interaction was pretty good progress for the little boy. 

The dance instructor, a Terran woman called Kamberli, didn’t mind Alex’s behavior. Remiel had spoken to her the first day he brought Alex to class, explaining some of the little boy’s insecurities. She assured him that Alex was welcome there.

“We are Terran,” Kamberli said, and Remiel didn’t correct her assumption about his lineage. “What is the point of our longer lives if we cannot be patient with our children?” 

Remiel hadn’t been worried about Alex being in the class since. 

Even though he wasn’t up there, Alex watched the dance lesson intently. His wings, toes, and fingers twitched as the other children performed. Remiel could tell Alex wanted to be on stage with them, but he didn’t push the little boy to join. Alex would try in his own time. Remiel didn’t mind waiting for him to be ready.

When the lesson ended, Nenghi came over and talked to Alex. She didn’t stay long, as her other friends were waiting for her, but she did take the time to perform an intricate handshake with him. Remiel was a little impressed, and not just because Alex rarely chose to touch people. The two children performed the complex pattern flawlessly, and it was very entertaining to watch.

“You ready to go?” Remiel asked after Nenghi ran off to catch up with the other students flying back to the academy.

“Yeah, but I’m hungry, Remi,” Alex said while he watched Nenghi leave. 

Since it was the end of the week, Remiel hadn’t planned on taking Alex back right away. The little boy could use a break from his roommates. “What do you want to eat?” 

“Something spicy.”

“Of course. Can you wait until after we’ve dropped off the peach buns at Zak’s?” Remiel had procured a dozen from the Archridge kitchen this morning. He had them in a neat, fabric wrapped bundle at his side. He wanted to drop them off at Zak’s apartment before the Terran finished his shift at the hospital. Sophie said they’d both be working late tonight, but it might be a pleasant surprise for Zak to come home to.

“Yes, Remi. I can wait.” Alex rubbed his flat belly. “I think.” 

With a light laugh, Remiel said, “Let’s eat first. I know just the place.”

***

They sat at a table in the tavern under Zak’s apartment. Remiel didn’t remember much about his last trip there, but he did remember the spicy food. Just as he had hoped, Alex loved it. The little boy picked at the food on the platter, sucking the spice from his fingers happily. He bounced along with the band’s music, completely unaware he was doing it.

Remiel had to hide his smile in his mug. Alex was too cute. 

There were two platters on the table, one with the spicy nuts and vegetables, and the other with just plain roots and bread. Remiel ate mostly from the plain platter, but Alex ate from both, grabbing bread every once in a while. They both drank a non-alcoholic cider from large mugs. Remiel wasn’t going to risk a repeat of whatever had happened last time. 

“How is it?” he asked. 

“Good,” Alex said, his cheeks stuffed with food. “Was really hungry.”

“I think you’re hitting another growth spurt again. You keep growing like this, and you’re going to be taller than Uzzi soon.” 

Alex’s black eyes widened. “Really?”

Remiel shrugged. “Maybe. It’s hard to say. Sometimes we Ahnnak mature a little slower than Terran or Homm. But I can say you’re outgrowing your clothes again. We need to go shopping.” 

Chewing thoughtfully, Alex watched the band. “Will Gabriel come?” he asked after he swallowed.

“Do you want him to come?”

“He’s been really busy. I don’t want to bother him.”

“I’m sure your brother wouldn’t mind, but if you’d prefer to go shopping with just the two of us, we can do that, too.”

Alex nodded and smiled, then ate more of the spicy food. 

Remiel didn’t mind leaving Gabriel at the academy when they went shopping. The silver-haired Ahnnak had been completely unpleasant that weekend Barach asked Remiel to watch him. Remiel decided he wasn’t being paid enough to take care of both brothers, Gabriel be damned. He was on his own.

Then again, Remiel had also been a little sensitive about his relationship with Sophie that weekend, especially after he woke up with Zak curled against his back. He had been confused, and somehow, Gabriel had been able to zero in on his momentary insecurity, like the little fiend-taken viper he was. 

Fortunately, Remiel wasn’t confused any more. He loved Sophie. 

He loved _only_ Sophie.

Remiel hadn’t been over with Sophie to visit Zak since. It wasn’t that he was avoiding him, it was just that they were all busy, especially now that classes had resumed at Archridge. It was too difficult to find time in their schedules to meet.

About halfway through their meal, Alex waved toward the entrance of the tavern. Remiel turned around, surprised to see Sophie and Zak in the doorway.

Sophie looked just as surprised, but she recovered fast. “Remi! Alex! So good to see you!” she said, walking over with her arms wide. “Look at how much you’ve grown, Alex! It feels like forever since I last saw you. What are you doing here?”

Alex smiled up at her. “We brought peach buns. Remi said you were working all night at the hospital.”

“I was. I mean, I am. I’m on call. They let us leave early, since it’s a slow night, but if it gets busy, a messenger will call us back.”

A nagging suspicion fluttered around in Remiel’s stomach. “Why would they look for you here?” he asked.

“Zak’s apartment is closer than the academy,” she said, barely stumbling over her words. Was she lying to him? Why would Sophie lie to him?

“Are the peach buns for me?” asked Zak, walking up beside Sophie.

Remiel handed him the bundle. “Here. I promised.”

“You did.” Zak smiled at him, a warmth in his gaze that made Remiel uncomfortable. “Do you mind if we sit here?” 

Glancing a Zak, Alex immediately cowered. He dropped his food back on the platter, then tucked his hands in his lap. His wings tightened against his back.

Remiel sighed. He hadn’t planned on Alex meeting anyone new tonight, so he hadn’t taken the time to prepare the little boy. Calming him had to be his first priority, not starting an argument with his girlfriend. 

“Sure, you can sit with us,” said Remiel. “Alex, I’d like you to meet Zak. He works at the hospital with Sophie. He’s her friend.”

Zak sat between Remiel and Alex on one side of the table while Sophie took the other side. Smiling down at Alex, Zak held out his hand. “So you’re Alex, huh? I’ve heard a lot about you. Is it true you led your squad to win Dardiel’s relay last year? You must be pretty fast.”

Alex glanced at Zak’s hand, then looked back down. “The team won. I didn’t do it by myself.”

Unbothered by Alex’s refusal to touch him, Zak lowered his hand. “It’s nice to have a team you can rely on. When I was at the academy, my flight squad thought we could win if we all ate a dozen jammed-stuffed honey buns. _Each_. Someone had the brilliant idea that the sugar would make us all fly faster.”

“I wonder who that was,” Sophie mused, twirling a lock of her fiery hair around her finger.

“No one else thought it was a bad idea,” Zak replied defensively. “Granted, we were nine…”

“Did it work?” Alex asked softly, peering up at Zak through his black hair.

Zak shook his head. “During our second baton hand off, our sprinter got sick. He threw up all over the back and wings of our third relayer. She tried to shake it off, but all she did was splatter it all over the other teams.”

Remiel frowned. This wasn’t exactly an appropriate conversation to have while eating. He almost said something, but then he saw the corner of Alex’s mouth twitch up. “Ew,” said the little boy, wrinkling his nose.

“I know! And then _she_ got sick, too. The field was a mess. We were disqualified.” Zak sighed wistfully. “I never even got the chance to fly. Though, I bet I’m not as fast as you.”

Alex smiled up at him, apparently at ease with Zak now. It figured Zak would be good with kids, too. How could he be so perfect?

Remiel turned to Sophie. “You told me you had to work all night.”

“I did, Remi, I already explained,” said Sophie, rolling her eyes. “What are you trying to imply?”

“It’s the start of the weekend. You always said this was one of the busiest nights at the hospital. I can’t believe they would just let you leave. Plus-” Remiel paused, looking closely at Sophie. “Are you wearing makeup?”

“You’re not the only one concerned with current fashions, Remi,” said Sophie, reflexively reaching up and touching her cheek. She had dark pigment drawn along her lashes, dramatically defining her fiery eyes. 

“Since when?” Remiel snapped back. 

“Don’t yell at me,” Sophie replied angrily, glaring at Remiel. “I’m allowed to like new things. I’m not _just_ a healer, even if that’s all you see me as.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Remiel asked, taken aback by the statement. 

“It means, if it weren’t for Alex getting hurt all the time, you wouldn’t have given me the time of day.”

“You can’t possibly believe that,” said Remiel.

“No? Alex hasn’t gotten hurt more than twice this year, and you rarely spend any time with me,” she said. 

“That’s because we both shares rooms with other people!” Remiel exclaimed. “What do you want me to do, kick them out?”

“Yes!” Sophie replied. “If you really loved me, you would stand up for yourself and do whatever it took for us to be together!”

“I want us to be together. I try, Sophie! But every free moment I have, you’re always at the hospital. How can I spend any time with you, when you’re spending all your time with _him_?!” Remiel yelled, pointing at Zak. 

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Zak said, “Maybe this isn’t the best place to have this conversation. We should go up to my apartment. Alex, let’s go get a box from the bar to put the extra food in.”

“Okay,” the little boy whispered, looking nervously between Remiel and Sophie. He got up and followed Zak across the room. The older healer took the platters with him, leaving the table clear of everything but the two mugs. 

Remiel groaned, rubbing his hands down his face. _Great_. Now Alex was upset. He shouldn’t have yelled. “I’m sorry, Sophie, I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did, but Zak is right. We shouldn’t talk about this here.” Sophie twisted the gold ring on her thumb, staring at it with a little crease between her brow. 

Remiel leaned toward her. “I don’t want to fight with you, but I feel like I’m missing something. Like you’ve been lying to me lately.”

“You get so closed off sometimes, Remi. It’s hard to talk to you. You’re always talking. You talk _so much_ , but you never say anything.”

Brow furrowed, Remiel said, “I don’t understand.”

“We’ve been together for nearly two years. You’ve been home with me to meet my parents twice. And yet, I don’t know anything about you.”

“You know me better than anyone,” Remiel said, frustrated.

“I know! That’s the problem. You’re like this with everyone. You keep people so focused on the outside of you, with your piercings and your clothes, that no one tries to learn more about who you really are. You do this on purpose, and it’s exhausting trying to get close to you when all you do is push me away.”

Zak came back over with Alex. “Ready to go?”

Sophie stood. “Yeah. I’m going to need this.” She grabbed Remiel’s mug and drained the contents in one gulp. “Ugh, that’s not alcohol,” she said, sitting it back on the table.

“With Alex here, I didn’t want to risk a repeat of last time,” he replied, standing. His chest was tight. His thoughts swarmed like he’d fallen on a beehive. Was Sophie going to break up with him tonight? 

“Come on,” said Zak, leading Alex out of the tavern. “We can hear the music in my apartment still. Do you dance?”

Alex’s big black eyes looked up at him, but he didn’t say anything. He followed Zak, and after sharing an uncomfortable glance, Remiel and Sophie followed, too.

***

Remiel wanted to use Alex as an excuse to leave, but considering that was part of the reason he and Sophie were fighting, he avoided doing it. Besides, the little boy seemed fine with Zak. Remiel and Sophie stood stiffly by Zak’s unused stove, watching as Zak cleared floor space and arranged pillows.

“There,” the older healer said, grinning proudly at Alex. “What do you think?”

Alex sat on the window sill. He tilted his head, watching Zak, but he didn’t say anything.

“Okay, so this one,” said Zak, jumping onto the first pillow, a yellow one, “is a wing flap. Like this. Three times.” He beat his wings three times along with the music from downstairs. Then he jumped to another pillow. It was blue. “And this one… hmm. Okay, it’s this.” He wiggled his hips to the music. Then he jumped to another pillow. “On the red one, we do this!” He waved his hands in the air crazily and made a face.

A brief smile pulled at the corners of Alex’s mouth before he quickly concealed it. Remiel knew Alex was interested in Zak’s game, he was just so shy. The healer seemed to be doing a good job getting him to warm up to him, though.

When Zak stepped onto another pillow, he paused thoughtfully. “Hmm… This one… What could we do?”

“A jump?” Alex suggested softly.

“A jump! Perfect!” Zak exclaimed. He leapt into the air, bringing his toes up to touch his fingers. Alex smiled, and this time he didn’t try to hide it. 

When Zak landed on the next pillow, Alex wiggled forward and said, “For that one, we could do a half moon swivel with a leg extension.”

Zak put his hands on his hips. “Have you been holding out on me?” he asked. “Do you know how to dance?”

Alex lowered his eyes. Quietly, he said, “No. I mean, I’ve been watching my friend in class…”

“Alright, well, you’re going to have to show me. Because I’m not sure what a half moon swivel even is, and I’m pretty sure I’ll hurt myself if I try to make something up.”

Remiel watched as Alex slipped off the window sill. The boy stepped forward and raised himself onto the balls of his feet. Pointing his toes, he gracefully lifted one leg straight out before him while he raised his hands and wings over his head. Then, with careful control, he arced his leg around behind him. 

Remiel was impressed. The move looked just like something the students in the class would have done. Alex really had been paying attention.

As Alex lowered his arms and wings, Zak said, “That was very good. Okay, let me try.” Zak raised his hands over his head, though he couldn’t fully extend his wings. The ceiling wasn’t high enough in his apartment. Then, flat-footed, he stuck one foot in the air and swung it around back, wobbling precariously the whole time. He put his foot back down and grinned at Alex. “How was that?”

Alex laughed. “It’s good,” he said, and then hopped onto a pillow. Remiel could tell they would get along just fine.

Sophie turned to Remiel. “We need to talk. Let’s go up to the roof.”

Remiel nodded. If Sophie was going to break up with him, he didn’t want it to happen in front of Alex. They went out of Zak’s apartment, flying up to the roof to stand beneath the open sky in the cool night air. Remiel gazed up, watching the ancient light of the stars.

“Remi… I’ve been lying to you,” Sophie admitted. “About Zak.”

Closing his eyes, Remiel swallowed hard. His heart felt heavy, weighed with the confirmation of the affair he had known was happening. “How long?” he asked.

“It’s not that easy, Remi.” She walked over to him and took his hands. “You make me happier than I’ve been in my entire life, but you drive me mad. You’re can be so distant. Sometimes, I feel like I barely know you. It’s like you don’t trust me.”

Her words stung, especially because they were true. “You’re dating behind my back,” he said, pulling away from her. “What’s not to trust?”

“Damn it, Remi, just listen to me. I love you, but I care for Zak, too. He’s smart, and kind, and funny. He’s open about everything with me.”

“So you’re breaking up with me to be with him?”

“No! I don’t ever want to lose you. I just… I think…” Her brow knit as she struggled to find the right words. She took a deep breath, and then said, “I think, if you gave him a chance, you could care for him, too.”

Remiel blinked, completely caught off guard. “What?”

“I want to date Zak. Together. With you.”

“What?” Remiel repeated, still not understanding. 

“Zak understands how much you mean to me. He’s willing to give this a chance, if you are. He likes you, and I think, maybe, you like him, too.” Sophie bit her lip while she watched Remiel, waiting for his response.

For a while, Remiel could only stare at his girlfriend. His mind didn’t feel like it was working fast enough to process what she was saying. 

_Date Zak_. 

_Both of them. Together._

“B-But he’s a man,” Remiel finally managed to stammer.

“Does that suddenly bother you?” Sophie asked. “You said you would have no problem dating a man in the future.”

“That was hypothetical, Sophie!” Remiel exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “I didn’t mean I wanted to do it _now_. I’m with you! How can you think I could possibly care for anyone else?”

“Love isn’t a limited resource, Remi,” replied Sophie crisply, like she was scolding him. “Besides, I saw you with Zak when you were drunk. You can’t tell me you’re not attracted to him.”

Remiel pushed his ringed fingers back through his thick hair, pulling it away from his face. “I was drunk, Sophie. I don’t remember. But even if I did feel something for him, it doesn’t mean I’m in love with him, or want to have… to h-have s-s-s…” Remiel’s speech stuttered to a halt. He suddenly found himself very light headed. “I need to sit down,” he muttered. He tried lowering his hands, but one of his rings had gotten caught in a curl. 

Sophie sighed. “Let me help.” 

Remiel sat on the edge of the building. Sophie slipped the three rings off his caught finger, then gently started untangling the one that was stuck in his hair. Remiel held his hands in his lap, rubbing the bare skin on his ringless finger. 

While she worked, she said, “I’m not asking you to do anything you’re uncomfortable doing. I just want the three of us to go out, spend time together, and be able to be open with our feelings for one another. If you and Zak never develop real feelings for each other, that’s fine. We can stop, and we’ll figure out what to do then. But… But sometimes, Remi, I don’t feel like I’m enough for you. Maybe you need someone like Zak, too.”

Gazing up at his girlfriend, Remiel didn’t know how to respond. This was all absurd. How could he possibly agree to something like this?

“Do I have to answer right now?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I guess not.” She slipped the caught ring out of his curls, able to free it without ripping out any of his hair. She had the gentlest touch.

“What are you going to do if I say no?” 

Sophie straddled Remiel’s lap, placing her hands on his shoulders. “If you say no, and you don’t want me to be with Zak, I’ll still choose you.” She stared intensely into his green eyes. “But if you say no, I want you to take me home with you to meet your grandfather. I want you to ask him for permission to marry me.”

“Sophie-”

She touched her finger to his lips. “If you don’t choose either option, I can’t stay with you Remi. I can’t share my life with someone who refuses to let me be a part of theirs.”

He grabbed her wrist, moving her finger away from his mouth. “But you are my life, Sophie. I don’t need more.”

“But I do.” She pressed his loose rings against his palm. “It’s getting late. We should go check on Alex and Zak. You should probably returned him to the academy.” She walked away, heading for the door to Zak’s apartment on the other side of the building. 

Remiel watched her go, and when she dropped over the edge, he looked down at the gold rings in his palm. 

There were four. 

Sophie had returned her ring to him.

With a shaky sigh, Remiel put the gold rings back on his fingers. He put Sophie’s ring back where it had been before he’d given it to her. It felt strange, like it didn’t belong there anymore. He clenched his fist, letting the metal dig into his skin, then got up and followed Sophie inside to check on Alex.

***

Zak’s apartment was a mess. The air was filled with thousands of feathers slowly floating down to cover the floor. Gutted pillows lay around the room, their seams ruptured from the strain of Zak and Alex’s game. Apparently, when the pillows burst, that evolved into a new game, which consisted mainly of shaking all the filling out and fanning it into the air like a snowstorm.

“We’ll take care of cleaning up,” Sophie said, once she got over the shock of the room. “You take Alex back to the academy.”

“We should stay,” Remiel said, still a little stunned. “Alex should help. He helped make the mess, after all.” 

Alex looked up at Remiel guiltily. He held a pillow behind his back which still had feathers falling from its burst seam. 

“Nah, it’s okay,” said Zak, grinning wide. “It was my idea. You guys head out.” He crouched down beside Alex. “You’re welcome to come back any time, though. I had fun with you.” He held out his hand.

Hesitantly, Alex reached out. He touched his fingers to Zak’s palm, then quickly pulled away. He dropped the pillow on the floor, and turned to Remiel, pressing his face against Remiel’s side under his wing. Alex was nearly too big. He wouldn’t be able to hide under Remiel’s wing like that much longer.

Zak stood back up. He smiled at Remiel as well, but his expression was a little more uncertain. “You’re welcome to come back, too,” he said. 

Remiel looked at the man who was dating his girlfriend. The man who was willing to date _him_ , too. It didn’t seem right. “I have to think about it,” Remiel said coldly.

“It’s your decision,” Zak said. “I had fun on our first date.”

“First…?” Remiel looked at Sophie.

She raised her shoulders in a shrug, refusing to meet his eyes. “I wanted to see if it could even work out, if you two were alone,” she said, not sounding nearly as guilty as she should.

Getting together last time had been a set up. Remiel scowled at her. “Did you even have to work at the hospital, or were you just using it as an excuse to manipulate me?” 

Sophie huffed, annoyed. She turned and stalked over to him. Instead of arguing with him, like he expected her to do, she gently touched Alex’s shoulder and said. “I’ll see you later, okay, Alex?”

Alex peeked out from beneath Remiel’s feathers. He nodded. “Okay.”

Sophie looked up at Remiel. “And you… I’ll give you until the end of the month to make your decision. If you don’t, I’ll make mine.” Without waiting for his response, she spun and walked to the other side of the room to begin cleaning up the feathers. 

Zak raised his hand awkwardly. “Bye, Rem. Bye Alex.” 

“Ugh,” Remiel groaned. “Come on, Alex, let’s go.” He turned and guided the little boy from the apartment.

Alex peeked back and raised his hand. “Bye, Zak,” he said in a tiny voice. 

Remiel might have slammed the apartment door a little harder than he meant. He needed to calm down. He gave Alex a smile. “How about we pick up some honey bread to bring back to Uzzi and Isa? Do you think they’d like that?”

Watching him with emotionless black eyes, Alex just nodded. Remiel sighed and took him down to the streets to find a vendor for the snack.

It was late, but the city was still filled with people out having fun at the end of the week. Remiel kept Alex close as they wove through the alleys. They walked toward a market, where Remiel knew a few shops would sell what they were looking for. It was a popular snack among children, especially those who came to town from Archridge.

Alex kept looking up at Remiel, like he wanted to say something. Eventually, Remiel relented and asked, “What is it?”

“Zak is nice.”

“What?”

“He’s really nice,” Alex said, lowering his gaze to the street in front of him. “I wouldn’t mind coming back to see him again.”

With a sigh, Remiel said, “I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Oh.” They walked for a little more before Alex asked, “Is Sophie mad at me?”

Remiel stopped and touched Alex’s arm. The little boy stopped, too, but didn’t look up at him. “Why would you think that?”

“She was upset that she doesn’t see you as often…” He kicked at the dirt path with the toe of his silk boot. “If I got hurt again, would you two stop fighting?”

Remiel’s stomach sank. “Oh, Alex, no. That’s not why we’re- It has nothing to do with that.”

Alex sniffled. “Cause I don’t mind. I could fall, or get cut-”

Remiel grabbed Alex, pulling him in tight for a hug. The little boy didn’t resist him. “Alex, I’m not letting you get hurt again.”

“I don’t want you to break up with Sophie,” he replied, his words muffled against Remiel’s shirt.

“I’m not going to break up with her,” Remiel assured him. He released Alex so he could crouch down and look into his black eyes. “It’s just a little argument, okay? Sophie and I… well, we’ll get it figured out. It’s nothing you need to worry about. Sophie and I both care about you a lot, and I think Sophie would be even sadder if she found out you got hurt again.” Remiel tucked the loose strands of Alex’s black hair behind his ears. “Do you understand?”

Alex nodded. Remiel wasn’t sure if Alex really understood, and that worried him. Sometimes, Alex’s emotions could be so unpredictable. If the little boy thought, even for a moment, that hurting himself could keep Remiel and Sophie together, Remiel wasn’t sure what he would do. He hoped he wouldn’t ever find out.

Remiel stood back up and took Alex’s hand. “Let’s go get the honey bread. If you want, we can pick up something spicy, too.” 

“Yes, please.” Alex smiled brightly, like he hadn’t just offered to hurt himself, and they continued their journey to the market to get the snacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short story featuring Sabe, Alex, and Gabriel in the future has been posted. Read it here: [A Jealous Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15473280)


	106. Gabriel: 13th Degree of Justice, 595 DE

“I would rather die than fail this class,” Gabriel sneered, getting in Lorcas’ face. 

“That can be arranged,” the Terran snarled back, his grey eyes filled with hate. 

“Fix your fucking mistakes,” Gabriel demanded, speaking through clenched teeth.

“It’s fine,” Lorcas repeated with just as much intensity as the first time he had insisted his lump of glass was anything close to acceptable. “It’s not perfect, but it’ll pass.”

“It’s not good enough,” Gabriel snapped. “Anything less than perfect is failure. I won’t fail because of you.”

“You little puffed up, selfish-”

The Isten Elohim returned to the room, and Lorcas and Gabriel immediately separated, sitting on opposite ends of their bench. They shot each other a venomous glare, then turned away, seething.

“Ah, wonderful, class,” said the Isten as he walked around the room. “The details are coming along nicely.” He stopped at a table to help a girl who was having trouble heating her silica. “Did you add the lime?” She nodded. “Did you add the soda ash?”

She bit her lip, looking up at Elohim. “I thought I could get it hot enough without it.” 

“Add the ash,” he said, giving her a quick smile. He walked toward the front of the room. “It is possibly for you all to produce temperatures hot enough to melt sand on its own, but that is not the purpose of this exercise. Precision, detailing, and the focus required to maintain extended periods of high heat are the reasons we do this project.” He stopped at the podium, looking out over the class. “By the end of the week, I want your final sculptures turned in, but if you work on them in your rooms, please remember not to set your bedding on fire. Headmaster Iscriel really looks down on that sort of thing, even if it is for my class.”

A chime announced the end of the period. Everyone who had been working on their sculptures drew the heat out of the glass. When they were cool enough to touch, they picked them up and carried them from the room with their books.

Gabriel was already done with his. He had recreated Erem’s wooden phororha, the one Alex broke when he first came to the academy. Gabriel had never been able to fix the wooden sculpture, so he planned on giving the glass one to Erem, once the Isten Elohim was finished grading it. 

His glittering glass phororha stood with its wings spread on a shelf beside one other finished project. The other was from a girl who created a near perfect replica of a cut diamond, glittering with refracted light. Too bad Gabriel hadn’t been partnered with her.

No, instead he got Lorcasiel. Gabriel wanted to pick up the Huntsman’s lump of glass and throw it across the room. He didn’t even know what the melted pile of disappointment was supposed to be, he just knew there was no way the Isten Elohim would give it a passing grade.

Which meant Gabriel wasn’t getting a passing grade.

Lorcas finished drawing the heat from his glass and put it in his pocket. “You got something to say, baby?” he asked, keeping his voice low, not making eye contact with Gabriel.

Standing at the table, focused on stacking his books neatly, Gabriel said under his breath, “You’re an incompetent moron, and I hope you choke on your fucking tongue.” 

“You better hope I don’t catch you alone in the hall,” said Lorcas, jaw clenched, barely moving his lips. “I’m going to beat your ass, Barach be damned.”

“I’ll tell him you said that,” Gabriel replied haughtily, lip twitching back in disgust.

The Huntsman sneered, “Just like a spoiled baby to tattle.” He turned sharply and stomped toward the door, but stopped beside the Isten Elohim. He bowed. “Thank you for the class, Lord Isten. Have a good afternoon.” 

Elohim looked up from the small scroll he read at the podium. “Ah, yes, Terran Lorcasiel. Keep up the good work.” He returned to reading the scroll.

Lorcas gave Gabriel one last dirty look, which Gabriel responded to with a rude gesture, hidden under the outer edge of the table. The Huntsman left, hopefully going to his next class and not waiting around in the hall.

Gabriel picked up his books and approached the Isten Elohim. “Sir?”

“What is it, Ahnnak Gabriel?” the Isten asked, not looking up.

“I can’t keep working with Lorcas.”

“And why not?”

“He’s inept at basic elemental manipulation. He can’t even hold a flame for more than five minutes. He’s pathetic.”

Elohim released the scroll, letting it roll into a tight tube. “Ahnnak Gabriel, I understand your frustration, but Terran Lorcasiel is one of the more gifted students in elemental sciences. He may not be at your level, but that is to be expected, considering who your father is.”

Gabriel frowned. “He doesn’t even try.”

“Maybe you just haven’t been paying attention.” The double pupils in Elohim’s eyes focused in on Gabriel. “Perhaps the problem is not with Lorcasiel at all. Perhaps it is you, and your inability to lead in a structured setting. When working in a team, it is important to embrace that the failure of one is the failure of all. I am a lenient man, Ahnnak Gabriel, but you will deserve whatever grade you get. I appreciate your strive for perfection though.”

“I won’t fail,” Gabriel said gruffly.

“No, I don’t imagine you will, but a few marks off isn’t going to hurt you.” Elohim motioned toward the door. “Go on, or you’ll be late for your next class. I won’t write you a note.”

Gabriel huffed and left the room, feeling increasingly irritated. He couldn’t get his wings to stay folded. They kept opening back up, remaining rigid behind him.

He didn’t run to his last class, but he didn’t delay, either. There was plenty of time, and he doubted Lorcas would really attack him if he got him alone, but it was a risk he didn’t need to take. 

***

After the last class of the day, Gabriel returned to his dorm to drop off his books. He paced the room, knowing he was just delaying his meeting with Tassin, but he really hated waiting for the Homm to finish up with other students- the ones who were just there for normal help with mathematics, not to entertain the perverse desires of a disgruntled Homm.

Gabriel clenched his teeth and kept walking, twisting and stretching the muscles in his back. He wasn’t hurt anymore, but sometimes he caught himself moving gingerly, like he expected pain if he misstepped. Hesitation like that would be a hindrance if he ever got attacked again.

The situation with Ori had been embarrassing, even if it worked out for him in the end. He liked having his friends nearby, though there were still some things he couldn’t explain to them. Erem was already really whiny about the fact that Gabriel was sleeping with a bunch of different girls. He couldn’t imagine how the blue-skinned Ahnnak would react if he found out about what Gabriel was doing with a Homm instructor.

Gabriel knew how Barach would respond, though. Disappointment. Anger. He’d probably hit him and demand he stop.

It wasn’t that easy. 

After talking back to Jequn, Gabriel had been fortunate to escape with his wings intact. He’d been too bold, probably delirious with pain. Placing a claim on Alex, the one person Jequn had ever shown any affection for, had been a stupid thing to do. Gabriel wouldn’t take it back, but he knew his father’s retaliation would be extreme, if he was given the opportunity. Gabriel didn’t plan to give him one.

As long at Gabriel maintained perfect grades, maybe he could delay long enough to come up with a plan to deal with his father.

One thing was certain. Giving Alex back wasn’t an option. 

Gabriel went into the bathing room and washed his face, avoiding looking at his reflection while he did. He didn’t need to see the self-loathing in his eyes. It wouldn’t change anything. He would do what he had to do.

He left the room, activating the locking ward on the door. He was about half way out of the AC dorms when Ilac and another girl spotted him. 

“Hey, pretty boy!” Ilac chirped, approaching with a big smile. “We were just coming to see you.” 

Gabriel looked between her and the other girl, who he didn’t recognize. She appeared to be Ilac’s age, both of them about three or four years older than Gabriel, but she didn’t have as much of Ilac’s confidence. She watched Gabriel with a flirtatious smile, like she thought she could seduce him with her pretty face.

“I’m busy,” Gabriel said brusquely. He enjoyed Ilac’s company. She was very experienced, and was always willing to patiently teach him new skills in bed, but he didn’t have time for this today.

Undeterred, Ilac said, “This is Priya. She used to be my roommate before I started AC classes. I wanted to introduce you.”

“I’ve always wanted to meet you,” said the girl, gushing like one of the fanatics who came up with that stupid nickname. 

Ilac said, “We were thinking we could have dinner together tonight. Get to know you.” She stepped forward, dancing her fingers up Gabriel’s chest. “Go back to my room after and get to know you a little more.”

Gabriel pushed her hand away. “Not today,” he replied, barely able to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

“Oh, come on Gabriel. What could be more important than spending the night in bed with two girls?” Ilac put her hand on her hip. “Most boys would jump at this chance.”

“When have I ever given you the impression that I was like most boys?” Gabriel asked snidely. 

Ilac chuckled, leering at Gabriel’s body. “Oh, I know you’re better than most boys, but you’ve still got a lot to learn. Like how to take turns.”

“Not interested,” Gabriel snapped.

“Come on, Gabriel, don’t be scared,” Ilac said, affecting a pout. “We’ll be gentle.”

The girl, Priya, stepped forward with a confident sway to her hips. “We would make you feel really, really good, Prince.” Ilac shot her friend a dark look.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “What did you call me?”

“It was a joke,” Ilac said, waving her hand in the air like she could chase away the words. “She didn’t mean it.”

“Ilac, I appreciate your help, but if I need something from you, I’ll come find you.” Gabriel scowled at her. “Until then, don’t bother me.”

“Don’t be so serious, Gabriel. We’re just trying to have fun. Haven’t you ever wondered what two mouths and two tongues would feel like?” asked Ilac. “Two sets of hands on your tight body…”

“No,” he stated, glaring at the persistent girl. She normally wasn’t this pushy. “Go play with someone in the Hunt. I’m sure they’ll appreciate the offer.”

Ilac sighed. “We’re not making this offer to just anyone. Can you at least consider it?”

Gabriel looked between them. He doubted they would leave him alone if he refused. “I’ll think about it, but it’s not happening tonight.”

“Tomorrow?” Priya said hopefully. 

Gabriel just rolled his eyes. “I’ll let you know. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for a meeting.”

“Oh, of course,” said Ilac, moving aside to allow him to pass. “Bye, Gabriel!”

“It was wonderful meeting you!” Priya called as he walked away.

Gabriel didn’t stop to respond to either of them.

***

The dining hall was crowded, the tables filled with Huntsmen and their companions. Voices droned into a solid buzz of noise that Gabriel made no effort to decipher. He had his elbow on the table, fingertips pressed to his temple, and he stared vacantly at the cold food on the platter before him. He had no appetite. His meeting with Tassin had left him nauseated.

The Homm had been especially vile tonight, threatening not to pass him if Gabriel didn’t allow the man to fondle him. After being denied access to Gabriel during the Harvest, the desperation and greed in Tassin’s eyes was intense. His words gave no hint that he was lying about the threat.

It had been humiliating. Gabriel sat on Tassin’s desk while the instructor touched him. His body responded to the contact while Gabriel tilted his head back, trying to think of anything other than the flat-backed pervert before him. When Tassin’s slimy mouth engulfed the tip of him during his climax, feelings of revulsion twisted with the forced pleasure. 

Tassin had released Gabriel as soon as he started to struggle, but the Homm had a smug grin on his face as he licked his lips. 

“You don’t fucking touch me again,” Gabriel spat, furious.

“We both know you enjoyed that, you little slut. Show some respect, or I’ll burn your perfect grade right now.”

Gabriel sneered. “Sir, if you ever put your hands or mouth on me again, I will make sure it is the last thing you do.”

Tassin chuckled. “Such bold words from such a deviant little whore. I hear what you get up to when you’re away from me. I know you’ll be back next month, Gabe. You can’t resist me.”

Gabriel left then, because anything else he would have said would have risked his grade. 

Erem snapped his fingers in front of Gabriel face. “Gabriel. Hey. Are you listening?”

Gabriel raised his head, blinking. “The fuck do you want, Erem?” he asked, his voice strained. 

“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been out of it all night. You haven’t even touched your food, and I don’t think you’ve heard a single word I’ve said.”

“Say something important and I’ll listen,” Gabriel grumbled. He flicked some of his food around on his plate and then shoved it away. “I’m not hungry.”

“You sure?” asked the Homm boy sitting across the table. 

“Take it,” Gabriel said dismissively, and then watched as the Homm descended on the platter like he was starving, despite having already finished a full serving. Ku-Vox. That’s what Barach had said his name was. For some reason, he followed Barach around, despite the Ahnnak’s distant attitude toward him.

While Gabriel watched the Homm eat with a disgusted fascination, Barach asked, “Did something happen?” 

“No.” Gabriel tore his gaze away from the Homm to look at Barach beside him. 

Barach’s eyes searched Gabriel’s face for any deception. “Did someone try to attack you again?”

“No,” Gabriel insisted, feeling a surge of anger within him. He struggled to keep it controlled. 

“Was it a girl?” Erem asked from the other side of Gabriel. 

“ _Fiends_. Can’t you two just shut up for one day?” Gabriel snapped. 

“Don’t yell at us,” Barach replied curtly. “We’re your friends. We’re here to help.”

“I don’t need your help,” Gabriel hissed. 

“Is it Lorcas?” Barach asked low, leaning in. “Did he do something in class?” They both glanced over to where the captain of the Hunt sat at another table, deep in conversation with Cariel and Duke.

“It’s not Lorcas,” Gabriel answered. 

Unless Sera insisted, Gabriel and Lorcas avoided each other during dinner. Sera was meddlesome, and thought she could make everyone be friends if they just got to know one another. Gabriel knew enough about Lorcas to know they would never be friends. 

Fortunately, Sera wasn’t here yet, and she usually didn’t make anyone change seats after she arrived. There were too many people who ate with the Hunt. Full tables made shifting around difficult. 

“Then what is it?” asked Barach.

Gabriel could tell he wasn’t going to drop it. Barach could be such an overprotective jackass sometimes. Gabriel thought a moment, coming up with something that would appease Barach, and then said, “These two girls want me to have a threesome with them tonight.” 

Erem spit out his food. “You’re not going to do it, are you?!” he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

Annoyed, Gabriel flicked off a piece of rice that had landed on his shoulder. “I haven’t decided yet. They’re being really persistent. I think Ilac is trying to set me up with her friend.”

“ _That slut_ ,” Erem hissed venomously. Erem had a real problem with girls, especially any that got close to Gabriel. Even Sera, though Gabriel would never pursue anything with her. She was smart, but she honestly viewed hard work as the only way to succeed in class. He’d never be able to manipulate her like he could some of the other girls. 

Plus, Gabriel wasn’t about to risk Lorcas’ wrath by seducing his girlfriend. Their relationship was odd, but Lorcas was incredibly possessive of Sera. It was well known that when they were younger, he would beat up anyone who dared insult her, especially when she first started transitioning. He’d probably still do it now, but most people knew better than to mess with the girlfriend of the captain of the Hunt.

“Do you need me to say something to them?” asked Barach. “Get them to back off?”

“I don’t need either of you interfering with my activities,” Gabriel reminded them. 

“They’re using you,” Erem argued, wings bristling. 

“It’s mutual,” Gabriel replied, but his attention was drawn away from the table to the entrance of the dining hall. Something was happening. People were standing up to see, and hushed whispers spread through the room. 

The whispered words reached Gabriel just he caught a glimpse of who they were talking about.

“Isn’t that the boy who got stabbed?”

It was Vivi. 

_He’s back_ , thought Gabriel, overcome with relief. 

Sera walked at Vivi’s side, wings spread proudly as she guided the shy boy across the room. Gabriel quickly realized why Sera looked so happy. She was bringing Vivi to him. 

_Oh no_.

There was a reason Gabriel always used to eat dinner alone. It was part of his arrangement with everyone he studied with. They could have him somewhere private for an afternoon or evening, depending on his schedule, but his meals in public were his own. Those were the rules, because that’s what kept everyone separate. It allowed them to continue to pretend that they were his favorite, above everyone else. It’s what made the whole thing work.

“Look who I found!” Sera exclaimed, grinning happily. “He just arrived back at the academy this afternoon. I thought we would surprise you!” 

Vivi raised his hand shyly. “Hi,” he said, embarrassed to have so many people focused on him. “I tried to stop her, but…” 

“It’s okay,” Gabriel said, because he knew Vivi had very little to do with this display. “I’m glad you’re back. Are you healed?” His smile was tight, but he didn’t need to fake the relief in his voice at having Vivi back. He needed him. He’d been wasting too much time on History, researching inconsequential dates for pointless essays.

Nodding, Vivi said, “The medic said I was clear to return. I don’t feel the knife tip anymore at all.”

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Sera gushed, practically vibrating with joy. “Vivi, what you did was just so brave. You’re welcome to eat with us anytime. Here, Erem, move over. Let Vivi sit next to Gabriel.”

“Like hell I will,” Erem snapped.

“Don’t be rude,” Sera scolded.

Barach got up before Erem could say anything else. “He can have my seat,” he said, allowing Vivi to sit on the bench next to Gabriel. Barach walked around to Zoldias, who sat on the other side of Erem, and motioned for him to move. The Homm huffed, incredulous at being kicked out of his seat, but got up and went to another table. 

Vivi sat, his skin flushed, but there was a pleased smile on his face. He was nearly as happy to be with Gabriel as Sera was to have them together. 

“I’m sure you two have lots to talk about!” she said. She waved to them cheerfully, and then bounced over to where Lorcas sat, sliding in beside him and kissing his cheek before excitedly talking with the others at the table. 

Gabriel met Lorcas’s grey eyes for a brief moment. The Huntsman pursed his lips, making a kissing motion, and then nodded toward Vivi. Gabriel casually scratched at his temple with a rude gesture aimed at Lorcasiel. The Huntsman grinned.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Vivi said, looking down at his lap. “I was worried about you when I was gone.”

Gabriel turned his attention to Vivi, lowering his hand. “It could have been worse,” he said. “I heal fast.”

“That’s good.” Vivi fidgeted. “I, um, found a couple interesting books in the colonist reserve my dad let me bring back.” He raised his face, meeting Gabriel’s gaze. His fingertips touched Gabriel’s hand on the bench between them. “Maybe I could bring them over tonight and show them to you?”

Rage pulsed against Gabriel’s back, seeping off of Erem in waves. Barach sitting beside him was the only thing that kept Erem from exploding. 

The thing was, he wasn’t the only one upset about Vivi sitting with Gabriel.

Besides the curious stares, there were several students who watched with jealousy and anger. Gabriel didn’t recognize all of them, but a couple he did, including Tephrin, who he filtered all his Chemistry essays through. She was going to be a problem. She barely tolerated the other girl in the Chemistry class who took notes for Gabriel. She did not look happy about the whispered rumors surrounding her about Vivi and Gabriel at all.

“Maybe tomorrow, Vivi,” Gabriel replied, pulling away from the brown-haired boy’s touch. “I’ve already got plans tonight.”

“O-Oh. Okay,” Vivi said, trying not to look hurt by the refusal. 

Gabriel felt a bit of guilt. He leaned in. “Tomorrow,” he whispered, catching Vivi’s eye. “Just the two of us, okay? I need to thank you properly, after all.” He gave the boy his most charming smile.

Cheeks flushed, Vivi agreed, “Okay. Tomorrow.”

“I should go. I’ll see you later, Vivi,” Gabriel said, getting up. He tapped Erem and motioned for him to follow, purely because he didn’t want to leave his blue-skinned friend alone with the boy who the entire dining hall believed was now his boyfriend. Erem’s cold glare at Vivi was enough to make the brown-haired Terran shrink, but Barach stopped and patted his back.

“Thanks, Vidiel, for saving my friend’s life. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t been there,” Barach said. Then he followed Erem and Gabriel as the other members of the Hunt began talking to Vivi, making him feel welcome among them. 

Gabriel walked out of the dining hall with Erem and Barach behind him. The days were growing shorter, and it was nearly dark outside. Torches lit the archways along the gap, flickering in the cool breeze. Gabriel leaned over the stone railing, breathing in the cold air, trying to calm the furious buzz that filled him. 

“FUCK!” he shouted into the gap, listening to the word echo of the cliffs.

“Gabriel-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Barach.”

“He’s a good guy.”

Erem crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s a little creep is what he is,” he sneered.

Spinning, Gabriel got in Erem’s face. “ _Don’t_. I don’t want you talking to him. I don’t even want you looking at him. You leave him alone, understand me? Let me deal with this myself.”

Barach separated Gabriel from Erem and said, “Calm down.” His hand remained on Gabriel’s chest, keeping him back. Erem just blinked at him, stunned. “We’re not going to say anything to Vidiel, or anyone else. We’re on your side. I just don’t think you should toy with his feelings like that.”

Gabriel shoved Barach’s hand away. “I don’t need your advice, Barach. Fuck off.” 

“You guys aren’t fighting, are you?” a voice asked, walking up. In the dark, it took Gabriel a moment to recognize Ilac. She came from the dining hall. Even though Ilac was unattached to anyone in the Hunt, she often ate with the group. Her friend was with her, watching Gabriel’s outburst with too much curiosity.

Gabriel turned away, going over to stand by the railing to get his emotions under control. He gripped the stone, his hands shaking with the rage simmering within him. A fracture appeared in the rock beneath his fingers.

Erem glared at Ilac as she approached. “Mind your own business, whore.”

“I saw what happened at dinner,” she said, strolling up to Erem. She tapped the blue-skinned boy’s nose. “Isn’t it just precious? Our Gabriel reunited with the boy who saved his life.” 

Erem swiped at her hand, but she was fast enough to pull away before he hit her. Barach grabbed his boyfriend’s shoulder so he wouldn’t pursue her. “Go to hell, Ilac,” said Erem.

The Terran girl laughed. “Aw, but they’d miss me here.”

“Just because you fuck everyone on the team doesn’t mean anyone wants you around,” Erem snapped.

Ilac’s eyes shifted to Barach. “Not _everyone_ on the team, Erem. Though I did try. I can’t help but think maybe I don’t match his tastes.” She looked back at the blue-skinned boy, who was fuming at her nonchalant tone. “Do you know what his type is?”

“Not sluts like you,” Erem said venomously. 

“Stop it,” Barach said, giving Erem a hard look. “I told you, Ilac, I don’t do casual sex.” 

“Pity,” she said. “Good thing Gabriel is a little more open.”

“Ilac, I’m not in the mood,” Gabriel said, finally feeling like he could control himself. “What do you want?” 

“I just wanted to check on you. If I had known you were entertaining Vidiel tonight-”

“I’m not,” Gabriel hissed. “Fiends, you actually believe the rumors?”

Ilac swayed toward him seductively. “I know Vidiel likes to suck cock,” she said, nearly singing the words. “I know I can do it better than him.” She touched Gabriel’s chest, stroking her fingers down his shirt. “Come play with us tonight instead.”

Gabriel glanced back at the dining hall, then at the curious girl who waited with Ilac. The way Priya watched him, he could tell she didn’t see him as anything other than her idolized Silver Prince. She was just searching for a chance to brag about her conquest. Gabriel knew if he slept with them both everyone would hear about it within the week. 

“I’ll come with you,” Gabriel told Ilac.

“What?!” Erem exclaimed, but Gabriel shot him a baleful glare, and he quieted with a pout. Barach didn’t look any happier, but at least he had the sense to remain quiet.

“Oh, goody!” Ilac cheered, bouncing on her toes. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back toward Priya, leading him away from Barach and Erem. 

Without looking back, Gabriel followed. He hoped Barach and Erem would understand, but even if they didn’t, he had to do this. 

“Come on, pretty boy,” Ilac cooed, grabbing Priya and leading the way to her room, “let’s go have some fun.” 

It turned out, Ilac still had a lot to teach him.


	107. Barachiel: 15th Degree of Justice, 595 DE

Barach sparred with Ku-Vox in the enclave of the Hunt, but his attention wasn’t fully on the Homm bruiser. Lorcas sat on the stone risers beside the field, working on something that caused him to burn his fingers and swear a lot. Sera sat beside him, trying to instruct him and give him advice, but the captain was clearly having trouble. 

Vox smacked Barach’s knuckles again, and grinned as Barach shook out his hand. “Got you again. I’m getting better! If I had wings, I bet Captain would put me on his squad,” the Homm boasted.

“You’re not that good,” Barach said, then knocked Vox off his feet. The Homm hit the stone hard, dropping his staff. It rolled away until Barach stepped on it, stopping it from going further.

“Ouch. Alright, you win,” gasped Vox, laying prone.

“Barach, be gentle,” scolded Pon-Pon. She was working nearby with Mikkon, the second line Terran tracker, trying to teach him how to defend himself. It still looked pretty hopeless. Mikkon had no commonsense survival skills. He was completely helpless without a bruiser to protect him.

“I hear you, Pon-Pon,” Barach replied, and helped Vox off the ground. “Let’s take a break, okay?”

Vox nodded, rubbing his chest. “Sounds good.” Since Vox lost, he took the practice weapons and returned them to the rack, then came back over to cheer on Mikkon. 

The two of them were pretty close. Barach wondered if there was something between them, or if he was just projecting his own perspective on them. Not that it really mattered. He didn’t care about the obnoxious Homm or the skinny Terran.

Barach untied the sash from around the waist of his pants. He used it to wipe the sweat from his brow as he walked over to where Lorcas sat with Sera. He observed quietly while the Captain focused on the glass blob before him.

“Easy,” Sera said, her voice low. “You’re doing it again.”

“Not helping,” Lorcas grumbled through clenched teeth. Heat emanated from his hands, turning the glass into a molten lump on the stone. It twisted and curled, like he’d been trying to sculpt it, but it looked odd. 

“Ouch!” Lorcas exclaimed, jerking his hand back. The heat faded, and the glass slowly began to cool.

“You didn’t even burn yourself,” said Sera.

“But I was going to,” replied Lorcas sharply. 

“Stop worrying about what’s going to happen in five seconds and stay in the present,” Sera insisted. “This is why you’re having trouble holding heat. You need to focus.”

“I am focused. This is just a stupid project,” the captain fumed. “I should just smash it and be done. It’s trash.” Frustrated, Lorcas leaned back, putting his hands behind his neck while he stretched his wings out behind him.

“It’s not trash,” said Sera, staying calm despite Lorcasiel’s ranting. “It’s turning out quite well.”

“It’s trash, Sera.”

“What is it?” asked Barach, tilting his head to look at the lump of glass.

“It’s supposed to be a flower.” Lorcas motioned at the thing like even its presence before him was offensive. “I think it looks like a squid.”

It did kind of look like a sea creature, but not one Barach had ever seen before. “Is this for a class?”

“No, I’m doing this for fun now,” Lorcas snapped sarcastically. “I’m giving up my position as Captain so I can devote myself fully to burning my hands on hot glass.”

“Sorry,” Barach said, but he smiled. It was rare to see the Captain have difficulty with anything.

“If you would stop worrying about getting burned, you’d do fine,” said Sera. She bounced her foot, making the tiny bells around her ankle jingle. “Do you want me to show you how it’s done?”

Lorcas glared at the glass and sighed heavily. “No. I’ve got to figure this out myself. Elohim will be able to tell.”

“Alright, well, let’s try again. This time, keep your focus on now, not later.” She leaned down, pointing out parts of the glass. “So this part here needs to open like a blossom. Stretch the glass, don’t try to curve it.”

“Sera-”

“And if you don’t push the heat into the core,” Sera continued, ignoring his attempt to speak, “you’re not going to give yourself enough elasticity to create the stamen.”

“Sera-” 

“It’s going to be real delicate work, so you should save that for last. And here-”

“Seraphiel,” Lorcas said sharply, finally getting her attention. “Let me work, or you’re going to get burned.”

“Alright, fine.” She pulled her hand back. “Just focus this time. If I see you split your sight, I’m going to flick your ear.”

“That’s not helpful, Sera,” Lorcas grumbled, but he had already began pouring heat into the glass again.

Barach found the process interesting to watch. As the glass heated, the captain was able to manipulate the design, moving it like taffy. He worked diligently, following Sera’s instructions. 

Ku-Vox came over with Mikkon and Pon-Pon after she was done working with the Terran. They all stood there, transfixed, watching the captain sculpt the squid-like glass into something resembling a flower. 

“Wow,” said Ku-Vox, voice full of awe. “That’s amazing.”

“It’s pretty,” said Pon-Pon.

Mikkon, still sweaty and covered in bruises, leaned on Vox’s shoulder. He opened his wings behind him, trying to cool himself off. “That’s really bright.”

“Can you create stuff like that?” the Homm asked the skinny Terran leaning on him.

“No. I barely run hot enough to burn wood. Give me another couple decades, and maybe.”

“What about you, Barach?” 

“That’s not how my energy works,” he responded.

“Shut up,” Lorcas growled. “All of you. You’re distracting me.”

Obediently, the Huntsmen fell silent while their captain continued to work. Every once in a while, Sera would make a gentle suggestion, but most the time, they just watched as the molten glass took shape. When Lorcas withdrew the heat this time, the glass sculpture looked a lot more like a flower. 

“Better,” Lorcas said, sounding relieved.

“It still needs more detail,” Sera informed him.

“I think it’s beautiful, Captain,” said Pon-Pon. “Is it a gift for Sera?”

“It’s for a class,” Lorcas replied tersely. “You think I do this shit for fun?”

Sera leaned over and kissed Lorcasiel’s cheek. “I wouldn’t mind if you made me one.” She took one of the captain’s hands, examining it. “You burned yourself, love.”

“I did?” Lorcas looked at his palms, where there were a couple red blisters. “Huh. Didn’t even notice.”

Sera dug a small jar out of her satchel and then pulled Lorcas’ hands into her lap. She used a mint scented balm on his skin, rubbing it into the burns. She was gentle, but the balm made Lorcas inhale sharply. 

“Give it a second,” Sera said calmly.

“I hate this stuff,” Lorcas griped.

“Don’t act childish. It’ll help.”

Under his breath, Lorcasiel muttered, “That silver bastard better appreciate this.”

The corner of Barach’s mouth twitched back. That’s who he thought Lorcas was doing this for. “You know he won’t,” Barach said. 

The captain glared at him, but didn’t respond.

“Who are you talking about?” asked Vox.

“Nobody,” said Barach.

“The Silver Prince,” said Lorcas. “Asshole extreme. Ouch!”

Sera held his wrist tight, preventing him from pulling away from her after she’d poked one of the blisters on his palm. “I told you to be nice.”

“You’re supposed to be gentle with me, woman,” Lorcas snapped back at her. 

“If you wanted me to be gentle, you wouldn’t act like a jerk.”

“I’m not! That crybaby isn’t even here. I don’t- Ouch!”

“That boy has been through enough. _Be nice_.” 

Seething, Lorcas slumped and let Sera tend to him quietly. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Vox said, turning to Barach. “How do you know the Prince?”

“We’re friends,” Barach replied, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Right, but up until he started eating with you, I didn’t know you knew anyone like him.” 

“Like him?”

“Well… he’s an heir, isn’t he? He’s pretty popular, too.”

Mikkon draped himself across Vox’s flat back, leaning heavily on the sturdy Homm. “I had a girl in my class ask me to cut off a lock of his hair after she found out I ate near him.” When Barach glared at him, Mikkon quickly added, “Not that I would. I refused. Of course I refused.”

“You’d better not touch him,” Barach warned.

“I won’t,” Mikkon said meekly.

“But, like, how did you meet him?” asked Vox. He reached back and pulled Mikkon’s arms over his shoulders. Then he leaned forward a bit, and the Terran hopped up. Vox looped his arms under Mikkon’s knees, carrying him on his back. “You don’t have any classes with him. He’s not part of the Hunt.”

“They were friends before Barach joined the Hunt,” supplied Lorcasiel. He kept his back turned to them, facing Sera while she tended his hands.

“Really? So you’ve known him a long time?” asked Vox.

“Since second year. After I came back.”

“Came back?”

“After the auroch.” Everyone nodded, because they knew that story. The whole Hunt did. Hell, probably everyone in the academy knew it. His childhood mistake proceeded him everywhere.

“Are you friends with him because you’re both Ahnnak?” asked Vox. “Erem, too?”

Barach raised his wings in a shrug. “Partly. Erem was the only one brave enough to talk to me.”

Mikkon asked, “So you were friends with Erem first?”

“No, actually. Erem hated me for a long time.”

“What? Why?” asked the skinny Terran.

Barach smiled fondly at the memory. “I kicked a ball into Gabriel’s face and knocked him out.” 

A laugh burst from Vox, then he said, “Wait, you’re serious?”

“I broke his nose.”

“You broke the Prince’s nose,” Mikkon repeated, like he couldn’t believe it.

Barach nodded. He wondered if Gabriel would be angry if he shared the story of how they met. Probably, but Gabriel was usually angry. What would it really matter? 

“It was about a week after I came back. We were up at the flight stones during Dardiel’s class. Someone started a game of kickball, and about half the class joined in. Gabriel… Well, he was a foul-mouthed brat back then.” 

“ _Was_ ,” scoffed Lorcas. “He still is. _Ouch_. Damn it, Sera.”

“I’m trying to listen to the story,” she said unapologetically. “Don’t interrupt.” 

Barach smiled and continued. “After I came back, no one would speak to me. My old class avoided me because of what happened, and my new class was too scared of me because I was so much bigger than them.”

“Little kids can be cruel,” said Pon-Pon sympathetically.

“Yeah, but Barach can be a little intimidating,” Mikkon added. “I bet he was the same even then.”

Barach shrugged. Mikkon wasn’t wrong. “We’d begun the game, but then there was this scruffy, silver-haired brat heckling everyone. He snapped off something at me. I don’t even remember what, but it was the first thing anyone had said to me since I came back, and it was an insult. I kind of lost it. I kicked the ball at him _hard_ and knocked him out cold.” Barach could still remember the arc of blood as Gabriel fell. It had been very dramatic. 

“Oh, Barach,” Pon-Pon sighed disapprovingly.

“I’m sure he deserved it,” said Lorcas.

Nodding, Barach said, “Erem ran over to try to wake him up, but when he couldn’t, he turned on me. He flew at me like this enraged blue wasp, out for vengeance, screaming all sorts of curses at me.” Barach sighed heavily. “I beat the shit out of him. Dardiel had to peel me off Erem, and we all got sent to the medic. Granted, most the blood on me was Erem’s, but they couldn’t take the risk, not so soon after I’d come back.”

“Barach, you’re such a bully,” scolded Pon-Pon.

“They did start it that time,” he said. “While we were in the medic’s office, waiting for the headmaster to come down, Erem went off. He threatened me and called me every name he could think of. Said if I ever came near him or Gabriel again, he’d cut me up. I’d just beaten him bloody and he postured at me like he’d won the fight.” A warm smile touched Barach’s lips. “He was so cute.” He realized what he said, and quickly moved on before anyone could point it out. “Iscriel came down and lectured us for a while about the time Gabriel woke up. Gabriel just sat there with this stupefied look on his face, like he wasn’t hearing anything. I think I’d given him a concussion. But when Iscriel was done lecturing, he said, ‘Is there anything you have to save for yourselves?’ and I told him I wanted to share a room with them.”

“Seriously?” asked Vox. “After all that, you wanted to be roommates with them?” 

“Erem wasn’t scared of me. And Gabriel… it took him about three days before he returned to normal. He rolled out of bed one morning, looked at me, and said, ‘Who the fuck are you?’” Barach smiled. “We’ve been friends since.”

Vox laughed. “Fiends. You three must have been hell when you were young.”

“We were, but they would have been worse without me. I spent most of our early years just keeping the two of them in line. They were such brats.” 

“It’s difficult to picture the Prince that way,” said Mikkon. “He's so cool and composed.” 

“It’s an act,” said Lorcas, turning around now that Sera was done with his hands. “He’s every bit as much of a brat now as he was then. But I can see why you’re so protective of him, Barach. Little shit like that has a way of getting under your skin.” Lorcas shook out his fingers and returned to the glass sculpture. “Alright, enough standing around talking, team. Get back to practice. I’ve got a stupid flower to finish.” 

“Yes, Captain,” Vox said. Mikkon gave a quick salute for them both, then Vox jogged back to the sparring ring, the Terran bouncing on his back.

Lorcas watched them until they were out of earshot, then asked Pon-Pon, “Is he getting better?”

“He’s not afraid of getting hit, Captain, but that’s part of the problem. He won’t dodge, even if he’s capable.” 

Lorcas thought for a moment, looking down at the glass flower. “Bring Oster in to spar him tomorrow.”

“Captain, that boy is mean. He won’t hold back.” 

“Keep Vox in the area. He’ll step in if Oster gets too far out of control.”

“They’re going to start a fight,” said Pon-Pon.

“When they do, make them run sprints until they puke. They’ll get it figured out soon enough.”

Pon-Pon frowned. “There’s got to be a better way to train them.”

Lorcas looked at her. “If you’re going to replace Titan as Ground Commander when he graduates next year, you can’t be nice all the time. Sometimes, you’re going to have to push the team to make them behave like a team. Especially the cocky little rookies.”

With a sigh, Pon-Pon said, “I’ll see what I can do, Captian.” She jogged over to join Vox and Mikkon.

Barach remained, and he asked, “Have you thought about pairing Ku-Vox and Mikkon on the same squad?”

“Yes and no. Mikkon isn’t ready for a real game, Barach. Even if he was, it’s a bad idea. Vox is too inexperienced. He would put his other two squad mates at risk to protect Mikkon.”

“You think they’re sweet on each other?” asked Sera, watching the Homm and Terran begin sparring under Pon-Pon’s instruction.

“Ku-Vox is oblivious, but Mikkon has a crush. He’s been easily distracted by the Homm since you all got lost in the forest,” said Lorcas, looking poignantly at Barach.

“Sorry about that,” said Barach.

Lorcas shrugged. “It happens. I try to discourage relationships among teammates, though. It makes people lose focus on what’s important.” 

“It’s not all about winning,” said Sera. Lorcas tilted his head, looking up at her. She stroked his fingers along his neck and jaw. “Sometimes love is more important.”

“A hundred years apart is going to break me, Sera. Winning is the only thing that matters.” 

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I know.” 

Lorcas straightened and focused on the glass flower. “I need to finish this. Stop distracting me. Go practice, Barach.” 

“Yes, Captain,” he said, suppressing his curiosity. What went on between Lorcas and Sera wasn’t any of his business. 

He walked over to help Pon-Pon with Mikkon and Vox. He picked up a staff and traded spots with in the sparring ring with Vox. Mikkon blanched a little as Barach asked, “So, you were going to cut off a lock of my friend’s hair?” 

By the end of the sparring session, Mikkon was making a lot more effort to avoid being hit.


	108. Remiel: 25th Degree of Justice, 595 DE

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Remiel asked, standing at the edge of the stage, looking up at Alex. Remiel had tied all Alex’s long black hair up with a ribbon, but there were a few coils that had come loose, hanging around his face. 

“I’ll be fine, Remi. You can go.”

“I don’t have to. You know I don’t mind sitting here and waiting.” Since it was the first day of the six degree break, the dance class was running an extended session. Six hours, from morning until dinner.

Alex glanced back at the other students, who were already beginning warm ups. “You promised you’d talk to Sophie.”

“I know,” Remiel sighed. “I’ll go. But remember, I packed you a lunch-”

“Remi. Don’t baby me,” Alex replied, then he turned around and walked toward the dance group.

Frowning a bit, Remiel called after him, “If I’m not back when class ends, stay right here!”

Alex waved over his shoulder, then slid into the spot Nenghi made for him in the circle.

For a few minutes, Remiel watched the kids stretch and chatter, feeling uneasy about leaving Alex there alone. He knew he should be happy that Alex was being more independent, but he made him a little sad, too. A month had brought about so much change in the little boy.

Once Alex was brave enough to remain on stage during practice, he adapted to the class quickly. He had gained a lot more confidence since then, mostly because Instructor Kamberli was such a good teacher. She never drew extra attention to Alex or made him feel uncomfortable. In a few weeks, she had Alex caught up with the other dancers in the troupe, though it helped that the skills seemed to come naturally to the boy. 

Remiel had always suspected Alex was stronger than he looked, but the young boy tended to take it to heart when someone told him something was too heavy or difficult. He just wouldn’t try. 

In dance, however, Kamberli put no such limitations on the moves, allowing the students to explore their own abilities, and then push further. Alex flourished, and it made Remiel happy to see the little boy doing so well, even if the multiple trips into Marut for the class each week were becoming exhausting.

Not that Remiel really minded. He could use the time to study. Lately, he’d been using a lot of the time to think.

Knowledge of Sophie’s affair and her desire to include Remiel had been shocking. He spent days unable to believe what she was asking him was possible. However, her ring weighed heavy on his finger, not allowing him to forget what he would lose if he refused. 

Then there was Alex. Remiel worried about how the little boy would respond if he did break up with Sophie over this. Would he be upset? Would he try to hurt himself to get them back together? 

It worried Remiel, but ultimately, he knew it didn’t matter. He couldn’t make his choice based on anyone else’s reaction. He had to figure it out for himself. But his concerns about Alex did prevent him from just dismissing the possibility altogether. 

After a lot of thought, Remiel finally made his decision. He didn’t know if it was the right one. He didn’t know how it would turn out, but today, he would talk to Sophie.

Lingering a few moments more by the stage, Remiel finally psyched himself up enough to go. Sophie was at the hospital all day today, but she said she would make time for him when he came by to talk. 

Remiel walked through Marut, feeling nervous and uncertain. He barely glanced at the shops along the path. He rubbed Sophie’s ring with his thumb, wishing it didn’t feel so strange on his finger. 

When he got to the hospital, he went inside. The receptionist, Lanat, greeted him. “Can I help you?” she asked.

“I’m here to see Zophiel, one of the medic interns,” he said, even though he’d been there before and assumed the receptionist remembered him. 

Lanat appraised him for a moment, then said, “She’s assisting in surgery this morning. You can wait in the lobby or on the roof, if you’d like. I will let her know you’re here when she’s done.”

“Thank you,” said Remiel. “I’ll be on the roof.” He didn’t like the smell inside the hospital, and didn’t want to linger there if he didn’t have to. Up on the roof, he sat near the edge, overlooking Marut while he waited. The city was beautiful, coming alive as the sun reached its peak. There was so much color and so many lives before him. His problems felt so small in comparison.

He spun Sophie’s ring on his finger again, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Was he just being a coward? 

Remiel sat there for about a half hour before Sophie walked up behind him. “Hey, Remi,” she said softly. “I brought lunch.” She held a stacked box tied with a cloth. “Hospital food is worse than academy food, but I thought we could share.” She came over and sat beside him, placing the food between them.

“How’d the surgery go?” he asked as she unwrapped the box.

“Good.” She sighed. “Exhausting. We mended the heart of a Terran who’d been stabbed in a duel with a Homm over some cabbages. I had to keep him under the whole time, but the medics worked fast. He’ll make a full recovery.”

“That’s good,” Remiel said. She nodded, finishing unwrapping the lunch box. She sat each of the trays out, so they could eat from any of the layers. The food didn’t look bad, even if it was a little bland. Not that Remiel had much of an appetite at the moment.

“Where’s Alex?” Sophie asked, eating some of the fruit.

“Dance. The session runs most the day today. I’ll pick him up before dinner.”

“He doing well?”

“He is. He really embraced it, and he seems happy. I don’t know if he’ll ever perform for anyone, but he’s gaining a lot of confidence with himself. That’s all that matters.”

“One day, he might surprise you. He’s growing fast.” 

Remiel nodded. They ate quietly for a few minutes, before Remiel finally prepared himself to do what he’d come there to do.

“Sophie, I-” He stopped, brow furrowed. He had practiced the words a hundred times, but saying them now was difficult. She didn’t speak, but just watched, waiting for him to reveal his choice on his own. Remiel swallowed and tried again. “I love you Sophie,” he said. “I’ve given the choices a lot of thought the past couple weeks. I tried to imagine what my life would be like without you, and I can’t. It’s impossible. I thought about what it would be like to demand my grandfather allow me to marry you, and I realized, even if he approved, it’s not fair to you.”

“How so?” she asked softly.

“I’m not what you think I am,” he said. “I’m not good enough for you. But even if I was… You care for Zak. How could I go forward knowing there was someone else out there who might be better for you?”

“Remi-”

“Let me finish, please. I’m not saying I want to give you up to him. But maybe you were right. Maybe we both need more, and maybe Zak can fill in the missing pieces for both of us. I’m willing to try.” 

Sophie stared at him for a moment, and when he looked at her, she smiled wide. “You’re serious, Remi?”

“I’m terrified, but yes.”

“Oh, I’m so happy!” she exclaimed, and then threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. One of the trays of food between them got knocked off, clattering down the front of the building to splatter on the ground. “Oops.” She peered down. “At least I didn’t hit anyone.”

Remiel smiled at her, feeling his heart thrum with nervous happiness. “Are you sure this is okay with Zak?”

Sophie leaned back so she could look in his green eyes, keeping her hands locked behind his neck. “He’s been more worried than me that you’d say no. He likes you, Remi. He’ll be happy.”

“I’m not sure how far I’m willing to go with him.”

“Don’t push yourself. Just do what feels natural. Zak will be very respectful with your boundaries.”

“How far have you gone with him?” Remiel asked his girlfriend.

“I’ve had sex with him, Remi,” she stated, unashamed.

“You have?” he asked, a little hurt by the knowledge, even if he expected it.

“The first time, I didn’t even mean to. It was during a shift here. We’d been working for hours, and we lost a patient. I was distraught, and he was there to comfort me. I guess I got a little carried away.”

“Was this before or after you decided you wanted to date him?”

“Before. He apologized profusely for letting it happen, but at the time, I hadn’t given him much choice. I think he’d been just as upset and vulnerable as I was. I thought it was a one time thing, but after… Well, we’ve been drawn to each other ever since. And then he met you, and that’s when he suggested we see if you’d be interested.”

“Wait, it was his idea?”

Sophie nodded. Her arms slipped from around Remiel’s shoulders, and she picked up another piece of fruit to eat. “It surprised me, too. Before then, I’d never even considered it as a possibility. But then I started thinking about it more, and it just felt right.”

Remiel looked back out at the city. “How do we know this is going to work out, Sophie?”

“We don’t,” she said. “We don’t know anything about the future. That doesn’t mean we can’t try.”

He glanced at her, then slipped off her ring and held it out. She hesitated a moment before taking it from him. 

“I wasn’t sure you would want me to have it back,” she said.

“I’ll always love you, Sophie. It belongs with you.” 

She leaned over and kissed him gently. When they parted, she said, “I love you, too, Remi.”

He smiled at her, and they resumed eating. When the food was almost gone, he asked, “Where do we go from here?”

“Well, I think the first step is to go on a few dates with Zak. Ones everyone is aware of. We should just try to spend time together, let feelings evolve naturally.” 

“When are we going to have time for that?” Remiel asked, knowing how busy all their schedules were.

Sophie thought about it. “We’ll figure it out. On nights Alex has dance, you could stop by Zak’s apartment, just to hang out a little. I’ve been sleeping there on the weekends, when I don’t have academy classes the next day.” 

Remiel nodded. He rarely saw Sophie at the academy anymore. It would be good to see her more often. “I’ll try to do that. Do you think he would mind if Alex came over with me?”

“Sometimes, I’m sure it’d be fine. As long as they don’t destroy the pillows again. That was a mess.” They were able to laugh about it now, even though when it happened, they’d both been fairly distressed. 

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t do something like that again.”

“It’s not Alex I’m worried about. Zak will do just about anything to get a smile out of kids. He wouldn’t think twice about ripping open the pillows again.” Her grin faded a little as she said, “But I don’t want Alex over all the time.”

“Why not?”

“Remi, you hide behind Alex. You use him as an excuse to avoid doing things that make you uncomfortable. When you’re with Zak, sometimes, I just want you to be _with Zak_. Focused just on getting to know him.”

Remiel nodded, because he knew she was right. He had been using his obligation toward Alex as an excuse for a lot of things. “I’ll try.”

“So… are you going to tell Alex?” asked Sophie, delaying the question slightly.

“I’m not sure yet. I don’t know if he’ll understand.”

“If you tell him, let me know… I’m sure he’ll tell Uzzi, and if Uzzi tells my parents… well, it’s going to be awkward. I’m not sure how my mom and dad will take me dating two boys at the same time. Not that it really matters. This is my life.” Sophie smiled at Remiel. “Our lives. We can do what we want.”

Remiel smiled at her and squeezed her hand, happy to see the ring back in place on her finger. “Together,” Remiel said.

“Together,” she agreed.

After Sophie returned to work, Remiel stayed on the roof, reading a book until her next break. They talked more, finally open and at ease with one another after months of tension.

When Remiel returned to the theater to pick Alex up after his dance class, he felt lighter than he had in a long time, even if he was still nervous about what the future held. 

Alex bounced out to him, smiling cheerfully. “Instructor Kamberli wants to talk to you.”

“Oh? What about?” Remiel wasn’t late picking Alex up, so he didn’t think it was about that. He followed the little boy over to where the instructor stood, waving goodbye to the rest of the students. 

“Do you have a moment, Remiel?” she asked. He nodded. “It’s about Alexiel.”

“Is something wrong?” Remiel asked.

“No, no,” Kamberli said. She smiled down at Alex. “You’re doing very well in class, aren’t you? What did I tell you today?”

“Dance is about control,” Alex said, repeating her words.

“That’s right. Your body is your own, and you are capable of complete control over every move and every choice you make. What does it take?”

“Practice,” Alex announced.

“Very good. Practice. Would you mind practicing for a little bit more while I talk with Remiel?”

“Okay,” Alex said, climbing up on stage. With no one else up there, he stood in the center, and gracefully began moving through the routine.

Remiel watched him for a few moments, impressed by how much improvement the little boy had made. It was almost difficult to turn his gaze away then the instructor said, “Alexiel is very special.”

“He is,” Remiel said cautiously.

“His talents are very rare, too.”

Nervously, Remiel asked, “What talents?” Had Alex done something in class?

The instructor looked to the stage. “Alexiel has a kinetic adaptability more precise than I’ve seen in over a century.”

Remiel blinked, puzzled. “Kinetic…?”

“He mimics movement,” she said. “Replicates it almost exactly. Have you ever noticed him do something that seemed impossible for someone his size?”

“Well, Barach told me he flipped an auroch once, but I thought he was just exaggerating.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. If he’d seen someone else do it, he probably would have been able to replicate the move while converting the function to his own body mass and trajectory.”

Remiel stared at her. “You really think that little boy could have known how to take down an auroch just from watching?”

Kamberli nodded, completely serious. She turned to the stage. “Alexiel, would you mind practicing that move I showed the class this afternoon?”

“Yes, Instructor,” he called back cheerfully, breaking out of the dance routine to walk across the stage. He tightened his wings against his back, raised his arms over his head, then proceeded to do multiple flips across the stage, landing perfectly on his feet on the other side. He looked back at Kamberli. “How was that?”

“Very good, Alexiel. Remember to get as much height on the jumps as you can. Thank you. You can resume the routine, now.” 

“Yes, Instructor.” Alex gave her a quick bow, and moved back to center stage.

Kamberli turned back to Remiel, who was still staring in awe at Alex’s performance. “That’s the first time he’s attempted that,” the Terran woman informed him. “He saw me do it once. It took three years for me to learn how to perform that move when I was his age.”

Remiel looked at her. “What does this mean?”

“This type of ability is not common. I can think of only four lines of Homm and Terran who were actively breed for the trait, and two of them are defunct. For it to have randomly appeared in him…” Kamberli shook her head. “I don’t know how much people will try to exploit him if they discover what he can do.” 

“Exploit him?” Dread raced down Remiel’s wings, making his feathers bristle.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed Alexiel doesn’t like being touched. He’s scared, Remiel, and that type of fear doesn’t just happen. Someone has hurt that little boy in the past. The people who would use him if they found out what he is capable of wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him again.”

Remiel swallowed past the lump in his throat. “What people?”

“The military, for one. If Alexiel can replicate conjurations half as well as he can physical actions, they would train him to be nothing more than a weapon against the Jinn. That little boy is too sweet to be used like that.” Kamberli’s words were intense, her eyes sharp. 

“Isn’t fighting the Jinn a good thing?” asked Remiel.

There was a fierceness in Kamberli’s frame that did not fit her image as a patient children’s dance instructor. “This was their planet first,” she stated. She looked back toward Alex. “He doesn’t belong anywhere near them.” 

“No, he doesn’t,” Remiel agreed quietly, even though he wasn't sure if she meant the Jinn, or the military. “What do you suggest we do?”

“Right now, his fear is the only thing that is holding him back, but it’s also the only thing keeping him hidden. As his endurance increases, he will get stronger. I can keep training him here, so he can begin to understand the limits of his ability to adapt, but I don’t think he’s ready to know what it means. I would suggest you do whatever you can to keep him from drawing the wrong type of attention at the academy.”

Remiel nodded, though he wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. “As long as he doesn’t face any more aurochs, he should be fine, right?”

“I don’t know. I’ve only witnessed the physical side of his ability. I honestly can’t tell you what else he’s capable of. I can tell you that right now, that boy’s body is set on survival, above all else. I don’t know what he’s been through to make him that way, but he needs help.” 

“I’ll do what I can,” Remiel promised.

“So will I.” Kamberli clapped her hands twice, and called, “Very good, Alexiel. That’s enough for today.” 

Alex did one last leap, and then stopped, bowing to the instructor. “Thank you for the class,” he said, then ran off stage to get his shoes and lunch bag. He ran up to Remiel with his things, smiling wide and breathing hard.

Remiel did his best to smile down and the little boy, watching the shift of colors swirl in his black eyes. “You ready to go?” he asked.

“I’m hungry, Remi. Can we get something to eat?”

“Sure, Alex, we can do that.” He walked from the theater with the little boy, mindful of Kamberli watching them the whole way out. 


	109. Alex: 11th Degree of Blight, 595 DE

“Ahnnak Alexiel, I don’t feel you are putting forth your full effort in my class,” said Instructor Ebbiel. 

Alex stood before her desk after Biology, wishing he could just leave. Isa was waiting for him in the hall outside the room so they could walk to lunch together, but he didn’t know how long the instructor was going to keep him there. He kept his head lowered, not saying anything to her.

“I’ve seen you do exceptionally well on some of your work. I know you are capable of more.” She placed a sheet of parchment before him. “This was a pre-assessment you did at the beginning of the year.” She put another parchment on the desk next to it. There was red ink all over the page, mostly around blank spots. “This was the test on same subject matter, which you chose to leave blank.”

“I’m sorry, Instructor,” he said, keeping his gaze lowered.

She left the pages before him and sat back on her bench. “I know there have been special accommodations made for you in the past, due to your history and lineage, but there are certain expectations we instructors have for all our students. For the remainder of the year, we will be covering elemental manipulation, and I am disappointed to see that, so far, you’ve been putting even less effort into that than you were the previous subjects.”

“I’m sorry, Instructor. I can’t do it,” he said.

“All Terran have the capability to manipulate elements, Alexiel. Even some Homm are capable of the science. As an Ahnnak, your power will be even greater, but not if you choose to repress your abilities. If I don’t see you produce at least a flame by the Descendants break, I will have no choice but to request intervention from the Isten Kasdeja.”

“Please don’t,” he pleaded. 

“I don’t want to fail you in this class, Alexiel,” Instructor Ebbiel said, leaning forward. “I need to see an effort.”

He nodded quickly. “I’ll try. I promise.”

“Thank you. Go to lunch. I think Isaiel is still waiting for you.” 

Alex bowed to her and hurried out the door, fighting against the panic rising up in him. 

“What’s up, man? Why are you upset?” asked Isa as they walked briskly down the hall together. 

“I can’t do elements,” Alex replied, his hands clenched in fists at his sides. “It’s not fair. I don’t want the Isten Kasdeja to try to help me.”

“She’s not bad. A little weird looking, but she’s not scary.”

“All Isten are scary. How can you not see that?” His voice was high pitched, on the point of hysteria.

Isa stopped, grabbing Alex’s arm and pulling him into a small alcove. “Hey, calm down, New Moon,” he said, pinning Alex against the wall. Isa stood close to him, one hand cupped around the back of Alex’s neck, tangled in his black hair. He touched his forehead to Alex’s, and said, “Breathe.” 

Alex closed his eyes and matched his breathing to Isa’s. He felt the panic in his chest start to recede. After a few moments, when he felt more under control, he pushed Isa back, and said, “I hate when you do that.”

“Sorry, New Moon.” Isa flashed him a brief smile. “It’s what my mom does when one of my uncles starts to panic. He’s got a fear of heights.”

“Unfortunate for someone who can fly.”

“It is. Especially because sometimes the trees we’re harvesting require someone up in the branches.” 

Breathing easier, Alex continued walking with Isa toward the lounge for lunch. Isa could be rude and blunt, and often was, but there was a steadiness about him Alex had come to rely on. He never had to wonder about what Isa was feeling or thinking, because he would just say it. It was nice not needing to guess. 

“Do you think there will be any food left?” Alex asked.

“You know Uzzi would bite someone if they tried to take food meant for you. He’s such a little fiend. But I bet he’s eating my food right now.”

Alex smiled. “If he is, I’ll share with you.”

“I’ll hold you to that, New Moon,” Isa said, turning and grinning as they reached the foyer. He backed off the edge, opening his wings as he started to drop, and flew up to the level the lounge was on.

Taking one more deep, calming breath, Alex followed.

***

Since Alex didn’t have dance tonight, he hung out in his room with Uzzi and Isa after class. He lay on his stomach on the floor, watching them battle over of game of Stone and Sky. Uzzi was winning. Uzzi nearly always won.

“Argh!” Isa exclaimed. “I surrender!”

Uzzi grinned. “Pay up.” 

Isa smacked a small silver coin down on the floor beside the board. He got up and started pacing the room. “I almost had you! How do you do that every single time?”

“You don’t look far enough ahead,” Uzzi said, picking up the coin and flipping it in the air. 

“I played my uncles all Harvest. I beat every one of them. I know I’m better than you.” 

Uzzi started resetting the board for the next game. “The only thing you’re better at is losing all your money.”

Isa glared at him, and did a couple more aggravated laps of the room before he came back and sat. He crossed his legs beneath him and slumped with a huff of air. “You’re cheating, aren’t you?”

“There’s no cheating in war,” said Uzzi. “It’s all tactics. You have to know your opponents moves before they do, so you can drive the fiends into the mountains or destroy them underground. Any good general knows this.”

“You read too many war books on fiends,” Isa grumbled. “Okay, next game. I’ll beat you this time.”

“What are you betting?” asked Uzzi, the red circles of his eyebrows raising. 

Isa reached into his pockets, feeling around for anything he could offer. He pulled out some lint and a couple baobab seeds. “You took all my allowance this month,” he said sullenly. “What if we play for something else?”

“Like what?” Uzzi finished setting up the board. “I don’t want any of your toys.”

“Alright, then…” Isa looked around the room. When his eyes settled on Alex, the black-haired boy’s wings stiffened. “What if we play for Alex?”

“What?” Uzzi asked, turning his fiery eyes on the smaller boy. 

“Winner gets a kiss from Alex,” said Isa. “Deal?”

Alex sat up, pushing himself away from the board. “No way.” 

“Deal,” said Uzzi, and moved the first piece.

“Guys, you can’t be serious. You can’t bet on me.”

“It’s just a kiss, Alex. Don’t be a baby about it.” Isa moved his piece. “It doesn’t even have to be on the lips. You can do it on my cheek or hand or something.”

“You’re awfully confident you’re going to win for someone who lost six times in a row,” said Uzzi. He was focused on the game, eyes sharp.

“Stakes are higher this time, Inferno. I’ll beat you no matter what.” 

Alex sat there, staring at them with a dumbfounded expression. They couldn’t really be serious. He wasn’t going to kiss either one of them. “You two are insane,” Alex said. “I’m going out.” He got up, pulled on his shoes, and left the room. Uzzi and Isa were so focused on the game, he wasn’t even sure if they knew he left. 

Why did they have to be so stupid sometimes?

There was still some time before dinner, so Alex flew up to Imperial housing. There was a dignitary staying there while he guest lectured for one of the older classes, so the usually quiet section was filled with attendants. Alex snuck in, staying close to the wall to avoid drawing any attention to himself, and crept into Nakia’s room.

“Phew. Why are there so many of them?” he asked the Homm princess as he closed her door behind him. 

“Servants and advisers and everyone else who thinks they’re important. They keep asking me to join them for tea.” Nakia put down her quill and got up from her desk. She stretched, the skin on her belly showing as she raised her arms over her head. 

Alex walked over and flopped down on her bed. “Uzzi and Isa are being stupid again,” he complained, pressing his face into her blankets.

“What did they do this time?” She walked over and bounced up onto the bed.

“They bet on me,” he said, his words muffled in the fabric. “A kiss.” 

“Are you going to do it?”

Alex raised his head. “No! Of course not.”

“Do you want to do it?” 

“Nakia, I don’t want to kiss anyone.” Alex tucked his wings in so he could roll onto his back. He lay there, staring up at the ceiling. “Why is everyone so obsessed with kissing?”

“It’s what you do with the person you like.” She propped herself up on her elbows beside him. “Hey, since you’re here today, do you want to help me with my braids again?”

“Yeah, I’ll help,” he said, sitting up, grateful for the distraction.

Nakia jumped off the bed and went over to get her comb and kadanya creme. She gave them both to Alex, then crossed her legs and sat before him on the bed. While Alex started in the back, Nakia began in the front, each of them unbraiding one of her tiny braids. They combed it out from the root, applied the smoothing kadanya creme, and braided the hair again, making it tight against her scalp.

Alex had seen Nakia doing it once by herself. It reminded him of how Remiel had taught him how to weave thread, and so he’d offered to help. She’d been a little nervous at first, because even though they both had dark hair, Nakia’s was much more thin and delicate. Keeping it braided all the time helped protect it from breaking. 

Once she showed him the proper way to redo the braids, she let him try one. He’d been able to do it, though he was a little concerned about pulling her hair too tight at her scalp. Nakia had been pleased enough with the result to let him continue. He’d been helping her every couple weeks since. 

Now, Alex’s fingers went through the motions with barely a thought. He liked helping Nakia. It made him feel good that she trusted him enough with her hair. 

“Hey, Alex?”

“Hm?” 

“Do you think I’ll ever get to see you dance?”

He paused, halfway through a braid. “Do you want to see me dance?”

“Nenghi says you’re really good.” 

“It’s just in practice. I don’t think I could dance in front of people.”

“Why not?” 

Alex resumed braiding. “I don’t like people watching me.” 

“Then why learn to dance at all?”

“I don’t know. I like doing it. Some of the dances, they remind me of the way Hadasha would move through the jungle.”

“Hadasha… She’s your pardua, right?” asked Nakia. She got a little more creme on her fingers and smoothed the braid, twisting the end to keep it tight.

“I think I belong more to her than she does to me.” 

Nakia laughed, looking back at him. “A pardua can’t own a person.”

Alex shrugged his wings. “She’s my friend. I just miss her.”

Facing forward again, Nakia said, “If you were my husband, I’d have a whole garden devoted to you and your pardua in my palace. You could live there with her and dance, and no one else would ever see you but me.”

“But you like girls, Nakia.” He couldn’t tell if she was serious.

Shrugging, the princess said, “I don’t know. If I have to marry a boy anyway, it wouldn’t be so bad if it was you.” She began her next braid. “You’d have to come live with me outside of E’din, but I’d never make you do anything you didn’t want to do.” 

“I don’t think my family would ever allow me to leave E’din,” said Alex, his voice soft. “Or get married.”

“It was just a thought.” Nakia sighed heavily. “My family expects a lot from me. My mother sent me a letter that said she was interviewing potential matches for me. They’re already choosing who I’m going to marry, and I’m not even there. I want to scream at them to stop, but I know they won’t listen. If I could write back and tell them I’d fallen in love with an Ahnnak and was going to marry him, they’d have to let me do it.”

“But you don’t actually love me. Do you really want to spend your whole life pretending?”

“I love you as a friend, Alex. It’s not all pretend. Besides, I trust you more than anyone I’ve ever met. Isn’t that enough?” 

He didn’t think it was, but he didn’t say anything and kept braiding.

There was a clatter outside the door, followed by raised voices, one of which Alex recognized as Remiel. After knocking briskly, the bronze-skinned Ahnnak entered, looking frustrated. “Why are there so many people? They act like they own the atrium.” He stopped beside the bed, brushing off his sleeve. 

“Hi, Remi,” said Nakia, smiling up at him. “Alex was just helping me with my hair.”

“Good afternoon, Princess. Yes, I see. Very lovely. I’m glad to see you two aren’t getting into trouble. I stopped by your dorm, Alex. Uzzi and Isa are fighting over a game. I haven’t seen them that worked up in a while. I can see why you didn’t stay.” 

“I don’t want to go back.” 

“You don’t have to. It’s about time for dinner, anyway. How close are you to being done with the Princess’s hair?”

“We don’t have to do it all tonight,” said Nakia. “Maybe you can come over tomorrow and help me some more?” 

“After dance,” Alex agreed. “Let me finish this one braid.” 

“Do you want to eat with us, Princess?” asked Remiel while he waited for Alex to be done.

“I’m eating with some friends from my class tonight,” she said. “I already promised them, otherwise I would.” 

“Is it Lothi?” asked Alex, reaching the end of the braid. 

Nakia’s eyes widened and her skinned warmed. “I-I mean, she m-might be there,” the princess stammered, trying to act casual about her crush on the girl. 

Smiling, Alex said, “You should talk to her this time.”

“I talk to her,” Nakia protested. “I asked to borrow a quill from her just yesterday.” Since Alex was done with the braid, she hopped off the bed and went to her desk. She picked up a white feather, stained black at the tip with ink. Nakia held it in her hand, admiring it. “She said I didn’t have to give it back.”

“It’s a very nice quill,” said Remiel. “The girl must think you’re pretty special to have given it to you.” 

Nakia looked up, her eyes sparkling. “You think so?”

Remiel nodded. “I do. Enjoy your dinner tonight, Princess. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Bye, Alex,” she called, clutching the feather to her chest.

“Bye, Nakia,” Alex replied, and he followed Remiel out of the room. 

The atrium was still crowded, and Remiel puffed his wings, making himself look bigger. Alex stood close as they walked through the busy people. A bustling scribe nearly ran into them and didn’t even pause to apologize as he hurried on. 

“Diplomats,” Remiel grumbled, guiding Alex out of Imperial housing. “They think they’re so important.” Once they were further down the hall, headed toward the fissure separating the two sides of Archridge, Remiel’s wings relaxed a little. “How was class today?” he asked.

“Instructor Ebbiel spoke to me.”

“About what?”

“She’s going to fail me.”

Remiel paused. “She can’t just fail you, Alex. What did she say?”

“If I can’t produce a flame by the end of Descendants, she’s going to make me work with the Isten Kasdeja.”

“That’s not the same as failing you.”

“It is the same. No matter what they do me, I won’t be able to do it, Remi.”

“We can practice-”

“I _can’t_ ,” Alex insisted. “Every time I try to use energy, it turns out wrong.”

“I know,” Remiel sighed. “We’ll work something out. Don’t worry, Alex, I’ll find a way to help you.”

“I don’t know how,” the little boy mumbled, dejected. 

“Have a little faith in me. Maybe there’s something Sophie or Zak can do to help.”

“Really?” Alex asked hopefully, glancing up at him.

“It won’t hurt to ask. I’ll talk to them this weekend, when I see them again. You’ll be alright for a day, won’t you?”

Alex nodded. “I’ll be fine, Remi. You don’t need to worry about me so much.” 

“It’s my job. I have to worry about you.” Remiel grinned at him. “I can still remember how tiny you were the first time I saw you, and how you’d start to cry any time you thought I was going to leave you alone.”

“ _Remi_ ,” Alex groaned, embarrassed. “I wasn’t that bad.”

“Sometimes you still get teary-eyed when I go.” Remiel pinched his cheek teasingly. “You’re just so darn cute, Alex. It pains me to leave you.”

Alex swatted his hand away. “Stop it. Go bother your girlfriend.”

Remiel laughed cheerfully, his green eyes bright. He continued down the hall, and Alex followed, smiling, too. 

For weeks, his tutor had been really sad. He wouldn’t talk about it, but Alex had feared Remiel and Sophie were going to break up. If they did, Alex knew it would be partly his fault. Alex demanded so much of Remiel’s time that he didn’t have time for anyone else. It wasn’t fair. Alex wanted Remiel to be happy, so he promised himself that he would do more to take care of his problems on his own. He would show Remiel he wasn’t helpless anymore.

At the end of last month, Remiel had gone to talk to Sophie. They seemed to be doing better now. Remiel tried to visit her and their friend Zak whenever he was in Marut with Alex. Zak was nice, so Alex didn’t mind going over to his apartment, especially because he always got snacks.

Last weekend, Remiel had been really nervous before going to see Sophie and Zak on his own. He kept asking Alex if he’d be okay at the academy alone, like he wanted Alex to say no, so he would have to stay. Alex insisted he’d be fine, and he was. He just played with Uzzi and Isa all day, making a fort out of blankets and defending it against imaginary fiends.

When Remiel came back late that night to check on him, the older Ahnnak hadn’t been able to stop smiling. Seeing Remiel that jubilant had made Alex’s chest feel warm, filling him with joy, too. If doing more things on his own, even if they were hard, meant Remiel could be happy, Alex knew it was worth it to try.

Even if it scared him sometimes.

***

Alex lay in bed after curfew, staring up at the ceiling while he waited for his friends to fall asleep. Isa had been grumpy all evening, barely saying anything at all during dinner. He’d gone to bed early, pulling his blankets over his head and sulking, though he hadn’t started to fall asleep until after Alex and Uzzi were in bed. 

Gradually, Isa’s breathing slowed and evened, falling into the familiar rhythm Alex recognized as his deep sleep. Uzzi was still awake. He tossed and turned in the bunk beneath Alex, sounding restless.

Alex was just beginning to think that maybe, just once, he would fall asleep before both his friends, when he head Uzzi kick his blankets aside. Climbing up, Uzzi peered under Alex’s curtain. 

Before Alex could ask what he was doing, Uzzi reached out and grabbed his hand. He raised it to his mouth, the touch of his lips brief but hot against Alex’s skin. 

Uzzi released him just as quickly as he grabbed him. “Good night, Alex,” he whispered, falling back down to his own bunk. 

Heart pounding, Alex clutched his hand to his chest, able to feel Uzzi’s kiss like a burn throughout his body. “Night, Uzzi,” he whispered, though he doubted he would be able to sleep at all tonight.


	110. Remiel: 17th Degree of Blight, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((CW: underage MMF relations - Remiel and Sophie are about 17, Zak is 26, but for Terran and Ahnnak, anyone under 30 years is often considered adolescent, so the age difference isn't so drastic for them))

“As I was walking up to give my speech, that damn blue pin popped off, and my entire wrap unraveled, leaving me buck ass naked in front of the whole class,” said Zak, his cheeks hot. “And that was the last time I ever tried to look cool for a girl.”

Sophie and Remiel laughed, tears coming to their eyes. “Is that why you only wear pants now?” Sophie asked, barely able to breathe.

“I am not a brave man,” Zak laughed, taking another drink of his marula wine. “I never want to risk that happening again. How about you? Most embarrassing fashion incident?”

“No, no, I can’t,” said Sophie, waving him away. “It was too awful.” 

“Oh, now I have to know. It can’t be any worse than mine.” 

Sophie took another drink of her marula wine, then sighed dramatically and said, “I was twelve, home for the Harvest. I was showing off my new dress in town, but I didn’t realize I’d gotten the skirt caught on the belt in the back. I walked the whole town for about an hour with my entire backside exposed, and only discovered what happened when a boy, Cadi- You remember Cadi, don’t you Remi?”

Remiel sipped his drink, feeling lightheaded. “Was he the blacksmith’s apprentice? The one who was terrified of you?” 

“That’s the one,” she said. “He walked up behind me and pinched my bottom. I was so mad and embarrassed, that I attacked him with a stick and broke his nose and hand. My mom had to heal him, and I got a lashing from my dad for nearly putting the boy in a coma, but ugh, let me tell you, Cadi’s been nothing but polite to girls since.” 

Remiel and Zak laughed. “You’re so much trouble, Zoph,” said the older Terran healer. She smiled at him, the connection intense between them. Remiel wondered why it didn’t bother him to see them look at each other that way anymore. 

The marula wine probably helped.

The three of them had spent the day together, visiting shops, going to lunch, and wandering the markets. It was their fourth official date, and had been the most fun Remiel could remember having. When they came back to the tavern for dinner, Zak made sure Remiel had eaten plenty before getting him a drink. 

Now, Remiel was on his second mug of marula wine, and even though he hadn’t drank nearly as much as the other two, he could definitely feel the alcohol working in his system. It made him relaxed, and he knew he was probably being louder than he should be, but neither Sophie nor Zak seemed to mind. 

“How about you?” Zak asked, turning his joyful eyes to Remiel. “Most embarrassing fashion incident?”

“My entire childhood was an embarrassing fashion incident,” Remiel replied. He thought for a moment, the process difficult while inebriated. “It’s not the worst, but my sister and brother once left me hanging from a tree wearing her skirts.” 

“What?” Sophie asked, a shocked laugh bursting from her. “Why would they do that?” 

“Nakir forbid them from going into town to see the traveling minstrels,” said Remiel. He pushed a hand back through his hair, moving it away from his face. He felt hot, even though the air outside was getting cooler. “They waited until he was passed out on void ethanol, stole his money, tied me up, and left anyway. When he woke, he was half blind from rage, found me hollering in that tree, and beat me in their place. Then he went back to drinking, and by the time they came back, he’d forgotten about what they did.”

“That’s terrible,” Sophie whispered. 

Remiel shrugged, looking down into his mug. “I think that’s why I never drank before. The smell reminds me of his breath every time he beat me.” Sophie and Zak exchanged anxious glances. Remiel’s brow furrowed. “What?” he demanded.

“You probably shouldn’t say bad things about an Isten while we’re out,” said Sophie.

“He’s not an Isten,” replied Remiel irritably. “Nakir is Ahnnak, and there’s nothing about him worth defending. Just because he refuses to change his name doesn’t make him important, just old.” He rubbed his temple. He felt like he was getting a headache. “No wonder my mother eloped…”

Zak moved onto the bench beside Remiel, smoothly sliding the mug of alcohol from his hands. “Let’s get you some water,” he said, and Sophie got up, going to the bar to request the drink. Zak touched Remiel’s chin, turning him to face him. “You got a lot of sun today. You might be dehydrated.”

Remiel blinked at Zak, caught in the healer’s gaze. When he agreed to spend time with Zak, he never expected develop feelings like this. Even casual touches, things that had been so easy to dismiss before, made his heart race. 

“Zak…” Remiel murmured, “I don’t think I’m dehydrated. I think I’m drunk.”

“It’s too bad,” the healer replied, voice low. “I was hoping for the chance to kiss you again tonight.” 

The memory of the kiss Zak had given Remiel at the end of their last date made Remiel’s cheeks burn. It had felt so natural when Zak leaned forward, cupping the back of Remiel’s head and pulling his mouth to his. Remiel had left the apartment speechless, to Sophie’s continued amusement.

Remiel swallowed hard, and whispered, “Maybe a kiss would be okay.” 

“Maybe if you sober up.”

Sophie returned with the water and a small basket of bread. “Eat more, Remi,” she said. Zak released Remiel’s face, but stayed beside him, slipping an arm under his wings and around his waist. Remiel drank some of the water and ate, waiting for his buzz to subside.

“We’re going to have to be careful,” Zak said to Sophie. “I didn’t think to take into account a possible genetic susceptibility to alcoholism.”

“You think that’s why it affects him more, even though he’s Ahnnak?” she asked.

“It’s possible. He could have a stronger biochemical reaction due to an inherited predisposition.”

“That makes sense,” said Sophie, nodding along.

It didn’t make sense, but it did make Remiel’s headache worse. “ _Fiends_ ,” he hissed, squinting at them. “Stop using such big words around me.”

“Sorry,” said Sophie, flashing him a quick smile. “So, I noticed you looking at that green silk again.” 

“The mint weft and pine warp diamond twill?” asked Remiel.

Sophie grinned. “Sure. It was the green one that was really soft.”

Remiel nodded. “Yeah. It’s a really nice weave.” 

“Were you thinking about making something with it?”

“No,” said Remiel. “It’d make a good tunic, but it’s too expensive. I think I’ll be able to replicate it next year, after I get access to the textile room again.” 

“You can’t go in there now?” asked Zak.

“I had a bit of a falling out with the head of the department a few years ago. I’m not allowed to use any of the equipment until I’m eighteen.”

“What’d you do?”

“I got reported for unauthorized elemental usage using advanced techniques.” When Zak and Sophie continued to give him blank stares, Remiel clarified, saying, “I shot a hole through a classmate’s wing when he tried to rip my shirt.”

Sophie blinked. “You what?”

Remiel sighed. “I was thirteen. I wasn’t smart. Headmaster Iscriel gave me the choice of working for him until I was old enough to officially join the textile specialization, or get expelled and sent back home. I’ve been a model student since.” 

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” asked Sophie.

“I’m not exactly proud of it,” he replied. “I was just a dumb kid.”

“Still, Remi. I wish you wouldn’t hide things from me,” she said. “You can trust me.”

“You can trust us,” said Zak, squeezing Remiel’s waist. 

Remiel looked between them, and he wished it were true. “I’ll try,” he said, even though he knew there were some things better kept secret.

***

The band was still playing when Remiel, Sophie, and Zak stepped out into the cool night air outside the tavern. Sophie danced ahead, going around the building to the stairs up to Zak’s apartment. Though he felt certain most the effects of the alcohol had faded from his body, Remiel stopped, leaning against the wall to gaze up at the stars overhead. He was relaxed, maybe a little dizzy, but that was just because the stars were spinning so fast.

“Come on, Rem, let’s go to my apartment,” said Zak, coming back for him.

“Or, better idea,” said Remiel, “we don’t. Let’s just sit here, where the ground is soft.” He started to slide down the wall.

“My bed is softer,” Zak said, pulling Remiel back to his feet. “Let’s keep moving.”

“Too much moving,” Remiel complained. 

“Sorry, Rem,” Zak chuckled. He scooped Remiel into his arms, easily carrying him around the building and up the stairs.

Remiel tilted his head back, watching the spinning night sky past Zak’s black curls. “I think I fell,” he muttered.

“I’ve got you,” Zak assured him.

The words were nice to hear. 

Sophie held the door open for Zak. The Terran carried Remiel in and brought him to the bedroom. He placed him on the mattress, but when Zak started to move away, Remiel reached out, grabbing the front of Zak’s tunic and pulling him down. He kissed Zak, surprising them both, even though Remiel had been desperate to do it all night. 

Pulling away gently, Zak said, “You’re drunk, Rem.”

“It’s okay,” he replied, his cheeks burning. “I want this.” 

“What’s going on?” Sophie asked, stepping into the room.

“Rem’s drunk and aroused,” said Zak. His tone was distant, but his fingers caressed Remiel’s cheek, betraying his interest.

“We could all play together,” suggested Sophie, swaying toward the bed.

“I’m not going to take advantage of him in this state,” said Zak. He stepped back from Remiel.

“But he wants you,” said Sophie. She sat on the bed beside Remiel, her fingers tucking his hair behind his ear. “Isn’t that right, love?”

Remiel leaned into her touch and looked up at Zak. He nodded, feeling dizzy at the thought of how much he really wanted it. How much he really wanted _him_. 

“See?” said Sophie. “It’ll be fun.” 

“Zoph, I told you. Not like this.”

Sophie huffed. “Fine. Then we’ll have fun without you. You can just watch.” She turned Remiel’s face toward her and kissed him, slipping her tongue deep into his mouth. 

Remiel’s body warmed to the familiar touch of his girlfriend’s hands as she traced a line down his chest. She reached the edge of his shirt and slipped her fingertips under the fabric, raking her nails across the smooth skin of his belly. He gasped, and she leaned back, her fiery eyes filled with lust. “Take off your shirt,” she commanded.

Remiel didn’t hesitate, pulling the tunic off over his head and tossing it aside. Sophie traced a circle on his chest with her nail, looking up at Zak with a mischievous glimmer in her eye.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Zak breathed, barely able to look away. 

“Just a little?” she asked, pouting. “We can’t leave him in this state. It would be cruel.”

“Zoph…”

“Just hold him,” she purred. “Just watch. You’ll like how he squirms.” To accentuate her point, Sophie’s nail grazed Remiel’s pierced nipple, making his back arch and his wings tremble.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Zak repeated again, the word one of frustration. “Fine. You win.” Zak untied his shirt, letting the fabric fall to the floor, then he climbed onto the bed. He leaned back against the wall, and Sophie guided Remiel back into his arms. 

Remiel settled against Zak’s bare chest, spreading his wings low on each side of the older boy. The bare skin to skin contact was intense, and when Zak wrapped his arms around Remiel’s chest, holding him tight against his body, it was difficult to think.

Sophie crawled up Remiel’s body and placed a kiss on his mouth, then his chin, and his neck. She nipped at his collar bone, making him whimper. When she got to where Zak’s fingers splayed across Remiel’s chest, she curled her tongue around Zak’s thumb and slowly sucked it into her mouth. 

Watching his girlfriend suck on another man’s finger with such a lustful look in her eye made Remiel _hard_. A little moan escaped his throat. Zak’s deep chuckle vibrated through Remiel’s body. 

Sophie let Zak’s finger pop from her mouth, then she resumed kissing her way down Remiel’s chest. She paused to pay equal attention to each of his nipples, and Remiel dropped his head back to rest on Zak’s shoulder while he panted. 

“I’m going to die if you keep this up,” he whimpered.

“Nah, we won’t let you,” Zak murmured in his ear, sending chills down Remiel’s body.

Sophie continued lower, licking and biting down Remiel’s belly until she reached his pants. She opened the lacing in the front with her teeth, nuzzling against his erection through the fabric while she did. Sophie sat up, still holding the lacing in her mouth, pulling the string free of the grommets in the pants. She grinned at Remiel while she gathered her wild hair at the back of her head, then used the lacing from his pants to tie it up. 

With her hair as contained as it could be, Sophie’s returned to undressing Remiel. She tugged the pants lower, exposing his hips teasingly slow. Remiel realized she was doing it for Zak’s benefit, as the Terran’s breath caught in his throat. 

Zak’s fingers curled against Remiel’s chest, raking across his skin in a way that made the bronze-skinned boy try to rise up to meet his touch. 

“Lift your arms over your head,” Zak whispered in Remiel’s ear. “Put your hands behind my neck.”

Remiel did as he was told, feeling his pulse race. He swallowed hard, looking down at the taut way his torso stretched, fully exposing his body and the gold rings in both his nipples to the moonlight coming in through the window. He trembled as Zak’s hands slid over his smooth skin, circling closer to those pierced nubs that Remiel desperately wanted him to touch, even if he was terrified of it happening.

“Oh, nice,” Zak drawled when Sophie finally tugged Remiel’s pants off, letting his erection bounce up against his hip. Remiel was naked, while Sophie remained completely clothed, and Zak only had his shirt off. Remiel felt exposed, and it made his skin prickle with excitement. 

Sophie made herself comfortable between Remiel and Zak’s spread legs. She brought her mouth down to Remiel’s thigh, teasingly biting and kissing her way up. She knew she was being watched by both boys, and she drew it out, enjoying Remiel’s gasps.

While Sophie teased, Zak slid one hand down Remiel’s flat belly, stretching his fingers out to cover most his skin, pressing firm to keep Remiel from arching away from his body. 

Remiel could tell Zak was hard, and it was embarrassing, because he didn’t know what he was expected to do about it. It felt rude to ignore it, but Zak didn’t hint that he wanted more than Remiel’s squirming body rubbing against him. For now, maybe that was enough.

Of course, when Zak’s fingers finally focused on one of Remiel’s nipples, tweaking the ring, any coherent thoughts or concerns Remiel might have had were gone. 

He cried out, and his erection jerked. Zak chuckled, pleased with the reaction, so he did it again. Sophie looked up, her eyes wild with desire, appreciating the sight of Zak making Remiel writhe and moan. 

“So pretty,” she murmured, licking her lips. She lowered her face and placed the first of many kisses up Remiel’s hard length.

“P-Please,” Remiel begged, but he didn’t know what he was asking for. He didn’t want them to stop, but it was more than he could handle.

Neither Sophie nor Zak were in a hurry, though. When Sophie took him into her mouth, she sucked on just the tip of him, then held him in her hand while she licked up and down his length. She sucked on him again, going down a little further, then pulled back and lapped at the base of him. 

It was like she was showing him off, highlighting for Zak all the different noises Remiel could make when she played with him _just right_. Zak definitely appreciated the show.

“Let me help,” Zak said, sliding his hand down Remiel’s belly. Sophie removed her hand from Remiel’s shaft, letting Zak’s bigger, stronger hand wrap around Remiel’s base. He did two long, slow, firm strokes, and Remiel choked back a cry. 

_It felt so good_. 

When Zak slid back down, he curled his fingers around Remiel’s balls, giving them a squeeze that made the younger boy whimper. Remiel’s arms were shaking, but he kept them up behind Zak’s head. 

Zak gripped the base of Remiel’s cock firmly and held it upright. Sophie grinned and lowered her mouth, beginning to bob up and down on the firm pillar, until her lips touched Zak’s hand. 

“O-Oh, fuck,” Remiel gasped. 

Zak pinched Remiel’s nipple. “Language, pretty boy. If you’re going to talk dirty, I’ll find something for you to do with that mouth.” 

The thought thrilled Remiel in a way he totally didn’t expect. “Please,” he gasped.

“That’s better.” Zak tugged on the piercings until Remiel whimpered, then he brought his hand up to Remiel’s mouth. “Maybe next time, I’ll give you the real thing.” 

Zak pressed his fingers against Remiel’s lips, and the bronze-skinned boy eagerly opened his mouth. He sucked on Zak’s fingers with vigor, matching the way Sophie sucked on him. 

“Good boy,” Zak murmured in his ear. He pulled Remiel’s earlobe into his mouth, tugging on the rings with his teeth.

It was too much. Remiel gave a strangled cry as his orgasm tore through this body. Sophie pulled back after the first spurt, letting the rest of the globs splatter on Remiel’s belly and dribble onto Zak’s hand. 

She licked her lips and grinned down like she was appreciating art. 

Remiel panted and twitched as Zak slowly withdrew his fingers from his mouth. He stroked up and down Remiel’s sensitive shaft, rubbing the sticky fluid into his skin.

“Please, I can’t…” Remiel begged. He couldn’t move away from the touch. His body was spent, completely slack as aftershocks of pleasure rippled through him. 

“I bet you could,” Zak purred, his voice husky. “But we’ll save that for next time, Rem.”

Remiel nodded, grateful for the reprieve as Zak’s hand moved away from him. Sophie returned after a moment with a small piece of fabric to clean up the mess on Remiel’s belly. She cleaned Zak’s hand, too, smiling up at him. 

“Not going to lick it off?” she asked. 

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Zak replied, grinning. 

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to find out when we play with Remi again.”

“Good idea.” 

Remiel was exhausted, but he felt a thrill at the way the two of them discussed him. They had toyed with his body for over an hour, driving him to one of the most intense orgasms he’d ever had, and he couldn’t wait to be at their mercy again.

Just, not until after he’d had a chance to recover.

“Let’s get some sleep,” Zak said after Sophie finished cleaning Remiel up. Remiel was too exhausted to resist as Zak moved his arms, readjusting him so he lay on his side. Sophie crawled onto the bed before Remiel as Zak curled against his back. She lay stretched, facing them both, throwing an arm and a wing over Remiel’s naked body. 

Surrounded in the tangle of limbs and feathers, Remiel was warm and comfortable. This was nice, except… 

“What about both of you?” he asked. “You haven’t come yet.”

Sophie and Zak exchanged a look over Remiel’s shoulder. “I’m fine,” Sophie said.

“Tonight was about focusing on you,” said Zak, resting his cheek against the back of Remiel’s head. “A little delayed gratification never hurt anyone.”

Sophie giggled, pressing her face against Remiel’s chest. “He wants his first time with you _alone_.” 

“Zoph!” 

“Sorry,” she said to Zak. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Remiel. “It’s true, though.” 

“It seems like it should bother me that you two have been discussing me for so long,” Remiel said.

“Does it?” Sophie asked.

Remiel thought about it. He thought about how safe and relaxed he felt between them, like he belonged there. “No, it doesn’t,” he admitted. “I think I’m actually happy.”

Sophie laughed. “You sound so surprised.” 

He smiled at his girlfriend. “Being with both of you is new. I’m trying to adjust.”

“Take your time,” Zak said, nuzzling against Remiel’s neck. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Remiel looked back at his boyfriend, smiling at how the thought of calling Zak that made his pulse race. “Promise?”

“Mmhm,” Zak murmured, squeezing Remiel to his chest. “I’ll be here when you’re sober. Then we’ll really play.”

Remiel laughed, a nervous thrill racing through him. He couldn’t wait.


	111. Gabriel: 20th Degree of Blight, 595 DE

Today wasn’t going well. After class, Gabriel returned to his room with Vivi to study, but sometime during the day, someone had made the effort to etch _Prince_ into his door with acid. The wood still sizzled and popped, the caustic liquid dripping in rivulets down the door.

“Another time, Vivi,” Gabriel said. He was becoming increasingly frustrated by this behavior.

“But, Gabriel-” the Terran protested.

“Vidiel, go away. I’ve got to deal with this. _Alone_.” Gabriel ignored the hurt look on the other boy’s face until Vivi took his things and left.

The ward still held on Gabriel’s door, so at least he knew no one had been inside. Not that it would matter if the acid ate all the way through. Careful, Gabriel entered, dropped off his books, and left, sealing his door once more. 

He knew where the problem was. He knew it wasn’t just a single girl he had to deal with this time, but he knew the main source. 

Gabriel arrived in the advanced curriculum lounge, and spotted Tephrin immediately. She sat on a table, talking with a couple other girls. They all looked to him when he entered. Tephrin smiled, not a hint of regret in her eyes.

He stalked across the lounge, trying not to appear as pissed off as he was. The girls watched his approach, and when he reached them, Tephrin said, “Good afternoon, Gabriel. Didn’t you have plans with someone else this today?”

“What the fuck did you do to my door, Teph?” he snapped.

“Your door?” she asked with mock innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Gabriel grabbed her arm and pulled her off the table. She gave a startled yelp, but followed as he dragged her out of the lounge. The other girls remained at the table, staring after them with startled expressions.

When they got back to his door, he released her and pointed at the dripping acid. “Why?” he demanded.

“I think I’m going to bruise,” she whined, pushing up her sleeve to look at her arm.

“Teph!” he snapped.

The girl sighed, flinging her hair back over her shoulder. “You want to know why, Gabriel? You think we’re all so dumb, that we don’t have you figured out. We _know_ what you’re doing.” She put her hand on her hip, glaring at him. “We talk.”

“So, what? This is revenge?”

“It’s a warning. We’ve decided that the only way it’s fair to share you is if you belong to us all.” 

“I don’t belong to anyone,” he replied, getting angrier.

Tephrin scoffed. “It doesn’t really matter what you say. We have rules. You’re _our_ Prince. None of us can claim you, so that we can all have you. The rules aren’t different for him just because he’s a boy. You can’t play favorites.” 

“I’m not,” he spat. “Vidiel means nothing to me. _You_ mean nothing to me.”

Tephrin laughed. “You think that bothers me? I don’t care if I’m not your favorite, as long as no one else is either.”

Gabriel grabbed her and slammed her against the stone wall. He snarled, getting right in her face. “I’m done with you,” he said. “And anyone else who interferes.” 

Tephrin flinched, but then she started to giggle. “I’m sure Instructor Moed will be really interested to learn how you’ve been studying for chemistry. I can’t wait to talk to her.” Tephrin’s face twisted into a mask of sorrow, her eyes filling with fake tears. “Just wait until she hears about how you used me and took advantage of my pure, girlish heart.” The mask dropped, and Tephrin resumed laughing.

“You’re crazy,” Gabriel growled. He shoved away from her. 

“Rules are rules, Prince,” she called as he started walking away. “Anyone who breaks them is going to get punished. I’ll make sure of it!”

“Fix my fucking door!” he yelled back, storming out of the AC dorms. He could hear her laughter follow him all the way out to the gap.

***

Gabriel pounded on Erem’s door until the blue-skinned boy opened up. “What’s wrong?” Erem asked as Gabriel pushed past him. 

“I just need to get away,” he said, struggling to control the anger within him. Gabriel paced back and forth, his wings rigid, unable to close.

Erem shut the door and went back over to his bed. He sat, scratching his bare chest while he yawned. “Something happen?”

Gabriel paused, looking around the room. “Did you go to class today?” he asked.

Erem shook his head. “I just woke up.” 

Gabriel’s nostrils flared. “It smells like sex in here.” 

A purple flush appeared over Erem’s skin as he laughed. “Yeah, I bet it does. I haven’t showered yet.”

“ _Fiends,_ do you two do anything else?” Gabriel groaned, and began pacing again.

“Not if I can help it,” Erem said lightly. “Barach is up with the Hunt, though. He’ll be back to get me for dinner.”

“If you keep skipping class, you’re going to fail.”

“Like I care,” Erem said nonchalantly. “Crispy can do his worst.” 

Gabriel shook his head, frustrated by his friend’s carefree attitude. “I want to talk to Barach.” 

“Told you, he’s with the Hunt.” Erem swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “You don’t want to go up there, do you?”

Gabriel thought about it a moment, and then nodded. “I do.”

Erem hopped out of bed. “Let me shower fast and I’ll go with you.”

“I don’t want to wait.”

“Five minutes, Gabriel, that’s all I need.”

“Fine. Five minutes, then I’m leaving without you.” 

Erem made a face at him and then left the room. He was back in less than five minutes, and they went up to the enclave of the Hunt together.

***

“I want to fight you,” Gabriel told Barach when his friend jogged over to them. 

Barach gave Erem a questioning look, but the blue-skinned Ahnnak just shrugged and shook his head. “Don’t look at me. He’s been weird since I saw him.”

“Gabriel, I’m not going to fight you.”

“Why not?”

“I’m in the middle of practice. I don’t have time to mess around.” 

“Make time.” Gabriel strode past him, heading toward the sparring ring. There were at least a dozen Huntsmen in the enclave, and they all stopped what they were doing to watch Gabriel approach. He pointed at the two in the nearest sparring ring. “Get out,” he commanded, and after the two gave Barach an uncertain look, they climbed out. 

Gabriel jumped in, pulling off his shirt and tossing it into the dirt on the side. Barach hopped down after him, approaching cautiously, like he would with a wounded beast. 

“What happened, Gabriel?” Barach asked. He kept his distance, but remained within the ring. 

Gabriel tied his hair up, pulling it back from his face. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. He walked up to the center of the ring. “Hit me.” 

Erem sat on the ledge over them, watching. He wasn’t the only one. Most of the other Huntsmen who were there had come over to the circle to watch.

“There are other ways to handle this,” Barach said, approaching Gabriel.

“I’m not trying to handle anything. I just want to fight.” He put up his fists, and Barach sighed, calmly stepping back into a sparring position. 

Gabriel started the fight, lunging forward with a jab. Barach dodged him, batting the sharp attack away as if it was nothing. Gabriel punched again and again, but every move he made, Barach countered gently, as if he was waving away an insect.

It made Gabriel mad. 

He snarled and struck again, but this time Barach grabbed his wrist and spun him around, pinning his arms and wings behind his back. Gabriel struggled, but Barach’s grip held.

“There are better ways to handle this, Gabriel. Talk to me,” Barach said. 

“I don’t fucking want to talk,” Gabriel snapped. He swung his head back, smashing it into Barach’s mouth. The older Ahnnak staggered back from him, releasing him. There was blood on his lip. His calm facade was wearing thin as he reached up and touched his mouth. 

Gabriel knew what he needed to do. If Barach wasn’t angry enough to fight him now, he just had to make him angrier.

There was a hard look in Barach’s eyes as he stared at the blood on his fingers. He rubbed it off on the sash around his waist, then glared at Gabriel. 

“What’s wrong?” Gabriel taunted. “Afraid of getting your ass kicked in front of your new friends?” 

There were some chortles from the gathered Huntsmen above them. Erem looked down on them, his yellow eyes fixated on Barach’s bloody mouth. 

“Gabriel, I don’t want to hurt you,” Barach said, his voice low, a warning.

“Try me,” Gabriel replied. He stalked forward, getting in Barach’s face. “Fucking hit me, you fucking cocksuck-”

The blossom of pain was bright, and then there was nothing at all.

***

Gabriel woke up, staring at the high stone ceilings of the enclave. His face hurt, and there was a wet cloth pressed to his nose. 

“You need to watch your mouth, Gabriel,” Barach said, voice calm, staring out at the practice field. 

They were on the stone risers along one edge of the enclave. Barach leaned back, his wings open and his arms spread on the riser behind them. Gabriel lay on his back at his side, his head in Barach’s lap, nose bleeding. 

“Sorry,” Gabriel murmured, closing his eyes again. His whole face felt like it was going to bruise.

“Feeling any better?” Barach asked.

“Not really,” Gabriel said, but at least he didn’t feel like the anger and rage inside him was going to explode out anymore. “Where’s Erem?”

“He went to get a couple more clean cloths, since you bled through this one.”

“Oh… Is my nose broken?”

“Probably. You’re going to have a black eye, too.” Gabriel nodded. That felt about right. “Do you want to talk about it?” Barach asked, not looking at him while he spoke.

Gabriel shook his head. “No… I’m surprised Lorcas hasn’t come over to make fun of me yet.

With a sigh, Barach said, “He’s running drills in the western forest with a couple squads. He left me in charge of things here.”

“You?”

“Apparently, he thinks I should start taking on some responsibility, if I’m going to be Cariel’s Vice-Captain after he’s gone.” 

“Seriously? Are you going to do it?”

Barach shrugged. “It’s not so bad here, when I don’t have whiny brats coming in and picking fights.” 

Gabriel remained silent for a few moments, and then said, “I think I’m making things worse.”

“Probably. What happened?”

Dismayed, Gabriel told him about the acid on his door, and Tephrin’s response, as well as the dozen other annoying occurrences over the past week alone. Barach’s expression remained completely unreadable through the whole story, and when Gabriel finished, Barach didn’t say anything.

“Well?” Gabriel asked.

“What do you want me to say? You know why they’re doing it.”

“I want them to stop.”

“Then break it off with them.”

“I can’t.”

Barach’s jaw clenched, the muscles throbbing in his cheeks. “I don’t understand why you put yourself through this. You’re smart enough to do these classes on your own.”

“It’s not the classes. It’s the time.” Gabriel pulled the bloody cloth away from his face. “By myself, I spend so much time studying, I barely sleep. Every waking moment I spend in a book, and it’s exhausting. When I’m tired, I make mistakes, and I can’t make mistakes, Barach.”

“You’re too hard on yourself. You don’t have to be perfect.”

“I do,” Gabriel insisted. “Everyone expects it from me. My grades are all that matter.” 

“More than your own safety?”

“Yes.”

“More than Alex?” Gabriel glared up at Barach, and the older Ahnnak turned his gaze down to meet his eyes. “You know I’m right. When they find out about him-”

“They won’t,” Gabriel snapped. He sat up, and felt a dizzying gush of blood pour down his face. 

Barach grabbed his shoulder and laid him back down. He tilted Gabriel’s head back and pressed the bloody cloth to his nose again. “Stay. Erem will be back in a moment, then you’re his.” 

Gabriel groaned and closed his eyes, awaiting his fate.

***

Late that night, when Gabriel returned to his dorm, he found the acid had been neutralized and cleaned. But in its place, a clear resin was spread over the door, sealing the word permanently into the wood. 

This was definitely going to be a problem.

Gabriel unlocked his door, and went to bed.


	112. Alex: 21st Degree of Blight, 595 DE

Alex carried his dinner tray out of the line, trying not to shake as he made his way through the crowd by himself. He could do this. There was nothing scary about not having Remiel with him. He’d gotten food on his own before. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know where to sit, or even if any of his friends had waited until the third dinner service to eat. 

All he had to do was find an empty spot, sit, and eat. He’d be fine. 

After dance, Alex had flown back to the academy by himself. Remiel wanted to go see Sophie and Zak during Alex’s class, and rather than making his tutor cut his visit short, Alex had insisted Remiel stay. Alex would be able to return with Nenghi. Remiel had been hesitant, but he eventually agreed. It wasn’t that far of a flight, anyway.

But then Nenghi had other plans. She had family in town she was going to meet up with, so Alex made the flight on his own. It wasn’t nearly as scary as he thought it would be. Being surrounded in stars like that, completely alone, had been nearly peaceful. 

Back at the academy was different. The loud chaos he’d grown used to was overwhelming without anyone at his side, but he was starving. He knew he had to eat, because if Remiel found out he skipped a meal because he was scared, Remiel wouldn’t want to leave him alone again. Alex didn’t want to be a burden on his tutor, so he braced himself as best he could, and got his dinner on his own.

It was fine. He could do this. He didn’t need any help.

Despite what he told himself, Alex felt a rush of relief when he spotted his brother’s silver hair at one of the long tables. Maybe it would be okay to sit with him, even though they hadn’t talked or seen each other for nearly two months, since classes resumed after the Harvest.

Alex carefully walked toward the table, going slow and ducking out of the way any time one of the older students rushed past him. He was about halfway there, when his brother’s friend, Erem, nudged Gabriel and pointed Alex out. Immediately, Alex wondered if he’d made a mistake. Gabriel didn’t look happy to see him. 

The silver-haired boy got up, walking briskly from the table and over to Alex. “Where’s Remi?” he demanded. 

Alex blinked up at Gabriel. A mask of purple and green bruises covered his brother’s face, at least a day old. “Brother, what happened?” 

“Shh!” Gabriel grabbed Alex’s arm and pulled him to the side. They stood behind one of the pillars in the room, mostly hidden from sight. “Don’t call me that, Alex.” 

“What happened? Why are you hurt, Brother?” Alex asked, staring up at him. It looked like he’d been punched in the face.

“What did I just tell you?” Gabriel snapped. “Stop calling me ‘Brother.’ It’s weird.”

“I’m sorry, Brother.”

“ _Fiends_!” Gabriel threw his hands in the air, frustrated. The quick move made Alex flinch. For a moment, he was certain Gabriel was going to hit him. “Damn it, Alex, why can’t you ever listen?!”

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispered, his wings trembling.

“What are you doing here alone?” Gabriel asked, scowling back over his shoulder at the tables filled with people.

“I-I thought I could eat with you…”

“Don’t you have friends of your own?” he asked sharply. “Where the hell is Remi?”

Lip trembling, Alex said, “He’s in Marut… With Sophie…”

“That lazy, fiend-taken bastard,” Gabriel snarled. “Absolutely worthless.” His ice-blue eyes fell on Alex. “You can’t eat with me.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not safe.”

“Did somebody hurt you, Brother? Is that why-”

“Damn it, Alex! What did I say?” Gabriel yelled.

Alex startled, nearly dropping his tray. “I’m sorry!” Tears filled his eyes.

Gabriel stared at him, and then quickly looked away, brow furrowed. “Grow up, Alex,” he said, his tone harsh. “Stop crying over everything.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex sniffled. “B-But I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Gabriel said, irritated. “Just do what I tell you. Go eat with your friends. Leave me alone. I’ll deal with Remi later.” 

“Y-Yes, Gabriel,” Alex muttered, lowering his eyes. 

Gabriel turned and walked away from him, not looking back. When he neared the table, one of the people he’d been sitting with asked, “Who was that?”

“Nobody,” Gabriel snapped, sitting beside Erem. “Just some annoying kid. Ignore him.” He didn’t look at Alex again.

Wings trembling, Alex carried his tray back to the other side of the room. He sat alone at a large, empty section of one of the tables. He didn’t feel hungry anymore, but he began eating. The tears that dripped down his cheeks made his bread taste salty.

_This is fine_ , he thought, his chest aching. _I can do this alone. I won’t bother anyone._

Alex stuffed a piece of fruit into his mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to overtake him on his next breath. He kept eating and chewing, even as the tears continued to roll down his cheeks. 

He was fine. It didn’t matter. 

Nothing mattered. 

The ache swelled inside him, casting jagged hooks into his chest, threatening to tear him apart from the inside. The crackle of dark energy within him grew, rising up like bile. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to let it go. Let it destroy him in the process.

When Uzzi thudded into the seat beside Alex, the black-haired boy jumped, startled out of his thoughts. The rising dark energy dissipated back into his core.

“Alex!” Uzzi said cheerfully. “I was looking for you everywhere. Look what I made today!” He held out a blackened rock with a swirly design etched into the surface.

“He doesn’t want to see your burnt rock,” Isa said, taking the seat on the other side of Alex. 

_I thought it was neat,_ Phrasa signed, sitting across from them with Mace. 

“You would,” Isa replied, rolling his eyes.

Alex looked up at them, swallowing the remaining food in his mouth. Only then did they all seem to notice the big tears that dripped down his cheeks. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Uzzi, immediately concerned. 

Lip quivering, Alex cried, “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” He fell into Uzzi’s arms, and the stunned, fiery boy caught him, holding him to his chest. Uzzi’s fingers lightly stroked Alex’s black hair while he looked up at their friends, bewildered.

“You’re not alone,” Mace assured Alex. “We’re here for you. We’re always here for you, New Moon.” 

Alex clung to Uzzi’s chest, hiding in the warmth that emanated from his friend. He couldn’t say anything else. The words wouldn’t come, but none of them left his side for the rest of the evening.

***

Remiel woke Alex up when he returned late that night. “Hey, sorry I’m late. Are you okay?” he asked, crouched beside where the little boy lay on the floor. 

Uzzi was passed out beside Alex, his arm draped around his shoulders. Alex raised his head from his friend’s chest. “I’m okay,” he said. He shifted his foot out from under the pillow Isa’s head was propped on, and the other boy grumbled before rolling over and going back to sleep.

“Do you want help moving up to your bed?” Remiel asked, keeping his voice low so he didn’t wake either of Alex’s roommates. 

“I want to stay here,” Alex replied, looking up at his tutor.

Remiel smiled at him. “Okay. Good night, Alex.”

“Good night, Remi.” The older Ahnnak stood and started to walk to the door, but Alex called out, “And I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Remiel looked back. 

“Gabriel wants to talk to you.”

Remiel huffed. “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in the morning, Alex.”

Alex nodded, laying his head back on Uzzi’s chest to listen to his heartbeat. Remiel left, closing the door softly behind him. 


	113. Remiel: 16th Degree of Soldiers, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak and Remiel spend the weekend together alone.
> 
> ((CW: Underage))

“Sweetheart?” said Zak.

“Yes?” Remiel replied, looking over, only to find the Terran grinning at him, holding out a package of the silphium pod shaped bread puffs. Remiel laughed and took one from him. “When did you pick these up?”

“When you were haggling with that merchant over your new ring. I figured you’d be a while. You didn’t even notice I was gone, did you?” Zak’s dark eyes were filled with mirth.

“I noticed,” Remiel stammered, even though he was fairly sure Zak had been beside him the whole time. 

“You’re so cute when you lie,” Zak chuckled, leaning in to place a quick kiss on Remiel’s cheek. They were walking in the middle of the market, surrounded by people, and the brief, public display of affection made Remiel’s skin flush. 

Grinning, Zak popped another silphium puff into Remiel’s open mouth before he could protest, then took his hand and continued walking. Chewing, Remiel fell in step beside his boyfriend, smiling contentedly.

Remiel had made plans to spend the entire weekend with Zak. The older healer had taken a couple days off work at the hospital, though Sophie had been unable to procure the same amount of time off. Whether that was intentional or not, Remiel wasn’t sure. Lately, she and Zak had been leaning toward Remiel spending time with Zak alone. He was fairly certain they’d arranged the weekend like this on purpose.

Not that it really bothered Remiel. He knew what Zak wanted from him, and he felt he was ready. Incredibly nervous, but ready.

“You hungry?” Zak asked as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. The days were growing increasingly shorter as the end of Soldiers neared. The coming winter made the nights incredibly cold, where even an extra sweater wasn’t enough to avoid the chill.

“I am,” Remiel said. They’d been walking the city most the day. “Are we headed back to the tavern?”

“Not tonight,” said Zak. “I thought we could stop by a restaurant and get something to bring home. Eat there.” 

“Sure,” Remiel said, rubbing his hands together to bring some heat back to his fingertips. His multiple rings clicked together with each pass. 

They went to a new restaurant Remiel wasn’t familiar with. It was just a window up to a kitchen, no public seating inside. Remiel didn’t know what to get, but he trusted Zak to order for him. The older boy paid, and they stood outside the shop while waiting for the food to be prepared. 

“I’m cold,” Zak said. “Warm my hands.” Without waiting for a response, he pulled Remiel close and wrapped his arms around his waist. Zak’s cold fingers slipped under the back of Remiel’s sweater and wiggled down the waist of his pants. Remiel jumped, the chill touch surprising him, but he stayed in the circle of Zak’s arms, leaning against his boyfriend’s chest. Remiel’s cheeks felt so warm, he barely noticed the cold settling around them.

“This reminds me of the first time we danced,” Zak said softly, he lips pressed to Remiel’s hair. He swayed slightly, the movement barely visible to the people walking by. 

Remiel rested his cheek on Zak’s shoulder. “You still smell good.”

Zak chuckled, his fingers cupping Remiel’s plump backside and squeezing. “You were so into me back then.”

“I was drunk,” Remiel protested.

“You’re not drunk now.”

Remiel rubbed his cheek on Zak’s shoulder. “Yeah, well, now I’m into you.” That made Zak laugh and hold him closer. It was nice.

When their order was called, Zak untangled himself from Remiel and went over to pick up the wooden crate. Steaming bundles of food filled the box.

“I thought you said Sophie wasn’t coming back tonight,” said Remiel, walking beside the older boy as they started toward the apartment.

Zak balanced the box on his hip. “She’s not.”

“That’s a lot of food for the two of us.” 

“Then I guess we won’t have to go out later, if we work up an appetite.” 

Remiel laughed nervously. “You sound like you’re not going to let me leave your bed for the rest of the weekend.” 

Zak looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “Who said that I am?” 

Remiel’s heart skipped a beat. He stumbled on an uneven section of the road, his wings the only thing to catch him from falling. He quickly caught up with Zak.

_Fiends, what was he getting himself into?_

***

They lay in Zak’s lounge, surrounded by half eaten bundles of food. Zak sprawled beside Remiel, popping another spiced nut into the air and catching it in his mouth. While he chewed, Zak said, “So what other textile tricks do you know?”

“None I’m allowed to do,” Remiel replied, picking through the glazed fruit. It left his fingers sticky, but it was still warm. He wasn’t sure if it would taste as good later, when the glaze crystallized, but he was really enjoying it right now.

“You can’t even tell me?”

“I’m not supposed to know how to do any of it yet.”

“I won’t tell, Rem.” Zak ate another spiced nut, catching it him mouth with the same casual ease.

“It’ll bore you.”

“Try me.” 

Remiel huffed. “Fine. Well, there’s threading, which is just using energy to guide thread along a path. Plating, which uses electro-magnetic pulses to gild materials with metal leaf. Stamping, which can be used to make holes through dense materials- That’s the one I got caught doing.”

“Can you show me?”

“Show you how I nearly got expelled?” Remiel asked skeptically.

Zak grinned. “You’re not going to get in trouble here,” he said. “It’s just us. I’m curious.”

Remiel watched him for a moment, deciding against his better judgment. Zak smiled and picked up another spiced nut. He tossed it in the air. Remiel’s green eyes locked on it, tracking the arc up. Just as it started to fall, he snapped his fingers. The loud pop that followed made Zak jump, and the falling nut bounced off his forehead. 

Remiel picked up another piece of glazed fruit and ate it. 

Zak sat up, searching for where the nut had fallen among the pillows. He found it and held it up, looking through the perfect circle cored in the center of it. “Oh, shit. That’s awesome.”

Remiel shook his head. “It’s stupid. I’ll be out of the academy in a heartbeat if Headmaster Iscriel thinks I still practice.”

Zak ate the nut, destroying the evidence. “You really used that on a person? Through somebody’s wing?” 

“I was mad. The hole wasn’t as small.” Remiel looked down, letting his brown hair fall around his face.

“How big?” Zak scooted closer.

Remiel held up his hand, making a loose circle with his forefinger and thumb, but that wasn’t accurate. Still ashamed of himself, he closed his fist, tightening it. “Like this. I used it to punch through him.”

Zak exhaled slowly, eyes wide. “Damn. That’s a mess to heal. Damaging someone’s wing is serious.”

Remiel nodded. “I know. It was a dumb mistake. I should have been expelled.” 

“Why weren’t you?” 

“It happened during a break. Nobody else witnessed it, and I think Headmaster Iscriel took pity on me. Maybe because I’m Ahnnak, maybe because he knew about the bullying I put up with before that point. Maybe because I was desperate not to go back home.” 

“You had it pretty rough growing up, didn’t you?” Zak reached out, tucking Remiel’s hair behind his ear so he could see his face.

Remiel thought of Alex. “Not as rough as some.” 

“Just because someone else hurts more, it doesn’t mean your pain matters any less.” Zak let his touch linger on Remiel’s earrings, gently twisting the gold piercings. It made it very difficult to think. “Can you show me another trick?” He pulled his hand away, even though Remiel didn’t want him to go.

“Which one?” Remiel asked, trying to keep his voice steady. 

“Show me threading.”

That one was simple and harmless. Remiel looked around them for something he could use to demonstrate. He saw a pillow with a tear and a loose thread. That would work. 

Since his right hand was still sticky with the fruit glaze, he grabbed the pillow with his left and held it between his knees. He started pulling the thread out with his left, but he would need both hands for this. He brought his thumb to his mouth, sucking the glaze from his skin.

As Remiel went went to clean his next finger, Zak caught his wrist, pulling his hand away from his mouth. “Let me help,” the Terran said, bringing Remiel’s hand to him. 

Lips parted, Zak placed Remiel’s whole first finger into his mouth, resting it on his tongue. His lips sealed around Remiel’s knuckle, and he sucked. His tongue stroked and curled around him, the firm pressure making Remiel’s belly clench and pulse race. Zak slipped Remiel’s finger free with a little pop, then did the same to the next, and the next…

When he finished the final finger, Zak placed a soft kiss on Remiel’s palm, then gave his hand back to him. “The trick?”

Remiel swallowed hard, green eyes wide. He felt lightheaded. “Y-Yeah.” His hands were shaking as he turned back to the pillow, guiding the loose thread from the fabric. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. 

Holding the thread between his hands, Remiel focused, sending a coil of energy into the thread. Rather than let it spread all the way through, he introduced a block, keeping the energy trapped within, making the thread rigid. He held it out to Zak, and said, “Careful, it’s sharp.”

Zak took it and examined the hardened thread. “Did you freeze it?” he asked, even though it wasn’t cold.

“It’s like ice, but that’s mostly to make the end sharp enough to go through fabric. It’s just a rigid core of energy trapped within the thread.” 

Zak balanced the thread on one fingertip. It stood straight up in the air, stiff and motionless. “That’s pretty cool. How do you use it?”

Remiel plucked the thread from his finger. “It can be guided with a little effort.” He brought the thread back over to the torn pillow. He pinched the ripped fabric together and lowered the thread to the beginning of the split. With a little shift in the energy trapped within, the thread sprung to life, weaving through the fabric like a snake through grass. The stitches weren’t as neat as Remiel would have liked them to be, but he was out of practice. 

Zak leaned over his shoulder, looking at the mended pillow an appreciative nod. The thread was still wiggling, ready to keep stitching, but its job was done. “That’s impressive. How do you get it to stop moving?” 

“You can pull the energy out, or you can snap the thread. That’ll release the energy too.” Remiel demonstrated by grabbing the twitching end and breaking it with his nail. He felt a spark of his energy return to him, then the thread fell still. 

Zak chuckled and leaned back. “You know, if I could do something like that, stitches would be a breeze. How long does the energy remain active in it?”

“I don’t know,” Remiel admitted. “Until someone releases it, I guess.” 

“And you have to use ice?”

“Maybe?” Remiel thought about it. “It’s not really ice, though. It’s just the tightening of the molecular structure into a rigidity that _thinks_ a lot like ice. The alignment allows for the manipulations of the structure through secondary impulses on contact, but the core maintains its integrity until released. Does that make sense?” 

Zak laughed. “Not at all.” He shook his head and sat forward, leaning in close to Remiel. “Sometimes I forget how smart Sophie told me you were.”

“I’m really not,” Remiel said, his cheeks warm. His green eyes focused on Zak’s soft lips, which were very close.

“I think you underestimate yourself,” Zak murmured, moving closer. 

Their lips nearly touched, but Remiel pulled back, just at the last second. “Should we clean up the food first?” he asked, his heart pounding.

“Leave it,” Zak said, and grabbed the back of Remiel’s neck, pulling him in for a deep kiss.

The touch and taste of Zak made Remiel’s head swim, much like when he drank the marula wine. It was so different to kissing Sophie. She was soft and sweet, always teasing him with her touch. Zak’s firm grip was unyielding, his tongue plunging into Remiel’s mouth like he would devour him. 

Both were very good.

Remiel was panting, his eyelids heavy when Zak pulled away from him. “Let’s go to the bedroom,” Zak said, his voice deep with desire. Remiel nodded, and took Zak’s hands, following him to the soft bed. 

Stopping beside the bed, Zak turned to Remiel and helped him undress, tossing the warm sweater and undershirt aside. Even with the windows closed, there was a chill in the air of the apartment, making Remiel’s skin prickle. His pierced nipples stood firm. Embarrassed, Remiel started to cover himself, but Zak lowered his arms. 

“Relax, Rem. It’s just us.” 

“I am relaxed,” Remiel said, but his wings were tight against his back and his stomach felt like he’d swallowed a thousand bees.

With a patient smile, Zak stroked Remiel’s cheek and said, “You try too hard to stay in control all the time, Rem. It’s okay to be vulnerable.”

“It’s hard,” he replied, his voice barely a whisper.

“When you’re with me, let me take care of you. Let me show you how good it can feel to lose control.” Zak placed a light kiss against his lips. “I know what you need, Rem. Let me give it to you.” 

Remiel’s mouth touched Zak’s again, breathing him in, drowning in the warm scent of his skin. He nodded. “Okay.” 

Zak’s big hands moved down Remiel’s torso, following the line of his body like a sculptor shaping clay. He loosened Remiel’s pants and let them slip over his hips. The fabric fell to the floor, leaving Remiel naked before the older boy. 

“Damn, the Isten made you pretty,” Zak murmured, gazing down at him appreciatively. 

It wasn’t like Zak hadn’t seen him naked before, but the way he looked at him now caused Remiel’s skin to burn. He tried to cover himself, but Zak caught his wrists and pulled his hands away. Shivers raced down Remiel’s wings at the desire evident in Zak’s dark brown eyes.

“I want to look at you,” Zak said. He moved forward, guiding Remiel back toward the bed with every step. “I don’t want you to hide from me.” 

Remiel felt a little panic when Zak shoved him back onto the mattress. His wings snapped out, stretching across the bed as he landed on his back. Zak climbed on after him, crawling up his body and straddling his hips. His pinned Remiel’s arms over his head, then leaned down and nuzzled against his jaw. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”

Despite the panicked beat of his heart, Remiel didn’t want Zak to stop at all. He couldn’t think of the words that needed to be said, so he tilted his head back, exposing his neck to Zak, surrendering to him. 

Zak chuckled warmly and pressed his mouth to Remiel’s throat. Licking and sucking, he left a rash of marks across Remiel’s skin that would need at least a day to fade. 

Knowing he would have a visible mark of Zak’s claim over him excited Remiel. He moaned, pressing his hips up against the older boy.

“Easy,” Zak said, sitting up. “Don’t be so eager. We have all night.” He released his wrists, but Remiel left his arms stretched over his head. 

“I don’t think I can survive the night,” he said, the haze of arousal clouding his thoughts. 

Zak grinned at him. He grabbed the hem of his worn sweater and pulled it off over his head. Remiel watched the way the pale light pouring through the window played off Zak’s rich brown skin. His muscles bunched and flexed with every move. The older boy was mesmerizing. 

After flinging the shirt aside, Zak leaned back down, pressing his bare chest against Remiel’s. His mouth closed around the unblemished side of Remiel’s neck, sinking his teeth into his flickering pulse. Remiel whimpered and his body throbbed. 

Slowly, Zak began moving down Remiel’s body, drawing similar reactions from the younger boy everywhere his mouth lingered. When he got to the rings in Remiel’s chest, his tongue curled around one, lifting it up. Remiel flinched, eagerly anticipating the sensation of Zak’s teeth around him, even though it didn’t come right away. 

“Please,” he whimpered.

“I like when you beg,” Zak replied, his breath blowing cold over the damp spots he left on Remiel’s skin. He took Remiel’s nipple into his mouth, tugging on the ring with his teeth. Remiel’s back arced off the bed and his wings spasmed, the feeling shooting through him like an electric shock. 

Zak did the same thing to the other side, with similar results. He didn’t stop until Remiel was desperately begging, “Please, please, please…” over and over. 

“Fiends, you’re so hard you could come from just this, couldn’t you?” Zak asked. He pressed his palm against Remiel’s stiff shaft, pinning it to his hip. 

Remiel jerked, nearly loosing himself right then. “Ahhh… Just a little more… Don’t stop, please…” 

“No… I don’t want you coming yet,” Zak drawled, stoking one finger up and down the vein in Remiel’s cock. A familiar warmth seeped into him, spreading into his body, and Remiel groaned. He knew what Zak had done to him. Sophie had done it to him before, too, when she was practicing the technique. It was a block, a constricting of tissue to restrict blood flow and delay orgasm. Remiel was helpless to Zak’s whims. 

He placed his hands over his eyes. “Not fair,” Remiel complained.

Zak laughed, not at all bothered by Remiel’s distress. “You’ll be fine. It’ll be better this way, trust me.” He leaned back down, resuming his exploration of Remiel’s torso with his mouth. Zak took his time, working lower, all the way down to the throbbing length between Remiel’s thighs.

When Zak’s hot mouth closed around him, it felt so good, Remiel thought he might explode anyway. But the block at the base of his erection prevented him from being pushed over the edge. There was nothing Remiel could do but lay there and squirm as Zak sucked him.

By the time Zak sat back up, Remiel would have done anything to be allowed to come. It was torture. He felt the mattress tilt and he opened his eyes, seeing the Terran move off the bed.

“Where are you going?” asked Remiel, his words breathless.

“I’m just taking off my pants, Rem. Relax. I’m not leaving you.” Zak slowly untied his laces, gazing down at Remiel as he did. “Fiends take me, I never want to leave you…” he murmured, eyes filled with lust. His pants dropped and he kicked them aside. Remiel’s heart skipped a beat.

The engorged flesh Zak wielded bounced before him as he returned to the bed. _Fiends,_ Remiel wanted to touch him. But he was so nervous, he just lay there as Zak parted his legs, kneeling between his thighs.

Zak leaned forward, letting their erections rub together as he found Remiel’s mouth and kissed him again. The kiss was forceful, Zak’s tongue invading him passionately. When he pulled back, he pressed two middle fingers to Remiel’s swollen lips and said, “Suck.”

Remiel sucked on Zak’s fingers eagerly. He felt Zak’s cock, laying on his belly beside his own, twitch, a drop of moisture dripping from the end onto his bronze skin. Zak moaned, and Remiel swelled at the knowledge that he could pull such sounds from his boyfriend. 

Reluctantly, Zak withdrew his fingers from Remiel’s mouth. He sat back, raised one of Remiel’s legs up, and rested his ankle on his shoulder. Remiel swallowed hard as the two wet fingers moved to his exposed hole. 

Remiel winced as the first pushed inside, but it was more because he expected pain than because it actually hurt. Zak slid his finger in and out, depositing the moisture, before switching to the next finger and doing the same. He withdrew his hand and spit on his fingers before pressing them back into Remiel together. 

The intrusion stretched Remiel’s body with a feeling that was very similar to how he felt when a needle pierced his skin. There was a little discomfort, but nothing intolerable. 

Zak sunk his fingers in all the way to the knuckle, curling them up as he placed his thumb firmly on the stretch of skin under Remiel’s balls. Energy passed between his fingers and thumb, running through Remiel like a current. It didn’t feel bad, but it was definitely strange. 

When Zak moved his fingers again, they slipped in and out of Remiel with little resistance. “There we go,” Zak purred. “That feels better, doesn’t it?”

It really did. Remiel nodded, but his voice wouldn’t work. Zak’s fingers pulled out, and Remiel lamented the loss, but he knew what was coming.

The blunt tip of Zak’s erection pushed against Remiel’s slick hole. His body opened to the unrelenting pressure. Remiel whimpered. The way Zak stretched and filled him felt impossible. 

“Just endure it for a little bit. Relax, Rem. I won’t hurt you,” Zak said soothingly, stroking Remiel’s thigh. 

Remiel looked down his body. He could see Zak’s hard shaft slowly sliding into him. He groaned and dropped his head back, pressing his hands over his face. The ache of being speared was overwhelming, but it felt _so good_. 

“I want to see your face,” Zak said, sliding back out slowly. “I want your pretty green eyes to watch me as I fuck you.” 

Remiel lowered his hands, gazing up at his boyfriend. “You’re going to kill me,” he complained.

Zak smiled at him and gave a quick thrust of his hips, forcing a gasp from Remiel. “You can take it.” 

He was right. He could. And he _wanted_ to. It was hard to think of anything else as Zak began moving within him, going deeper with every thrust. Gazing up at Zak, watching the way the older boy admired him, made the connection feel even more intimate. 

Gradually, Remiel’s body accepted all of Zak’s length. He could feel that hard pillar deep in his gut, throbbing and inescapable. Zak left himself embedded in Remiel’s body as he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Full,” Remiel replied. He licked his lips. “Good.” 

“I’m going to remove the block from you, and then I’m going to fuck you until you come. I don’t want you to touch yourself at all, understand?” 

Zak’s dark eyes were serious. Remiel swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes,” he said, the word barely a whisper.

With a pleased smile, Zak’s fingers slid down Remiel’s length. The warm energy slipped from his skin, drawn back into Zak, and Remiel immediately felt his cock throb, sending a bead of moisture to his tip. 

Zak released him and raised Remiel’s other leg up so both ankles rested on his shoulders. The angle allowed him complete access to Remiel’s hole. There was nothing the younger boy could do but lay there and take it as Zak began to move.

The slow, easy movements quickly gave way to faster, harder thrusts. Zak’s white wings spread behind him, radiant in the moonlight, helping counterbalance his thrusting, allowing him to pound Remiel into the mattress with vigor. 

Remiel moaned, drowning in the sensations that overtook him. He tried to cling to his control, but he hand none. He was at Zak’s mercy, and he couldn’t think of anywhere else he would rather be.

Zak’s hips shifted, and his rhythm changed, making short, fast thrusts against a spot within Remiel’s body that sent sparks before his eyes.

 _Wait_. 

Not sparks. It wasn’t a trick of his vision. Remiel quickly realized he had accidentally snapped off a flash of ice, as the sparkling snowflakes floated down to melt on his skin.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Remiel moaned, struggling to control his energy, to control any of the feelings within him. He felt the pleasure build within him under Zak’s relentless pace, no matter how he tried to hold it back. 

Zak didn’t stop. He drove Remiel over the edge, forcing the orgasm from his body without touching his rigid, throbbing member. 

Remiel felt his body convulse, the hot splatter of his semen hitting his chest as a crackle of frost released from his body, covering the bed and spreading uncontrollably up the walls. Zak continued thrusting into him until the last of the fluid dribbled from his cock, and Remiel was left a quivering mess on the bed. 

Zak leaned down and kissed him, sliding fully inside him with the motion. Remiel winced and laughed. “Ow…”

“Does it really hurt?” Zak murmured, placing light kisses along Remiel’s jaw.

“No,” Remiel admitted, breathing hard. “I’m just really sensitive right now.” He looked up at the glittering crystalline patterns on the walls. “S-Sorry about the frost…” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Zak chuckled. “I’m not done with you yet.” He moved within him again, and Remiel had difficulty thinking of anything else for the next few hours.

***

Zak bounced back onto the bed, placing the bundles of leftover food before Remiel. “Told you we didn’t need to put it away.”

“Good. I’m starving,” Remiel said, sitting on the bed. He reached out from under his blanket and pulled the closest bundle to him.

“It’s cold out here. Let me in.” Zak tugged the blanket off Remiel, then slipped in behind him, folding around his back. His legs curved around Remiel’s and his arm tightened around his waist as he wrapped the blanket back around them. Remiel shivered, and then settled back into Zak’s warm embrace. 

“Sorry,” the bronze-skinned boy said. “I couldn’t help it.”

Multiple layers of thick frost coated the room. Zak had started a fire in his stove in the other room, but it would be a while before that heated up the apartment enough to melt the ice. Remiel could probably get rid of it quicker, but he had no energy left. Sitting up was about the extent of what he could do right then, and even that was difficult. 

“It was worth it to watch you writhe and lose control beneath me,” Zak said, nuzzling the back of Remiel’s neck. “The way you squeezed around me, I could feel your pulse throbbing in your tight ass…” Zak’s cock twitched against Remiel’s back, like it was reviving, ready for more.

“Nuh-uh. No way. Food first,” Remiel said, tearing open the bundle. He took one of the dumplings and shoved it into Zak’s mouth. 

The older boy laughed and began chewing, stuffing the dumpling into his cheek. He rested his chin on Remiel’s shoulder, watching the way Remiel devoured the rest of the bundled food. 

“Fiends, I love you, Rem,” Zak said when he had enough room in his mouth that he could speak. 

Remiel froze, a slice of fruit halfway to his lips. He looked back over his shoulder, meeting Zak’s sincere gaze. “I love you, too,” he whispered, and he knew he did. 

Zak kissed him again, and for a little while more, the food was forgotten.


	114. Barachiel: 26th Degree of Descendants, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An evening out at the Descendants Festival with Barach, Gabriel, Erem, and Alex.

The Descendants Festival began with bitter cold, leaving some wondering if it would snow. It was unlikely, that far south, but the way the chill air bit into Barach’s skin still made him wonder. He stood beside Gabriel in the markets of Marut, watching Erem drag Alex over to another stall to get the free food they offered the children of the Isten. Erem was grinning, clearly having fun, but with Alex, it was harder to tell. His expressions were still so difficult to read. 

Arms crossed over his chest, Gabriel watched them with hawkish eyes. He’d been in a dark mood lately, barely able to smile if he wasn’t pretending, and coming out to the festival hadn’t changed that any. Gabriel hadn’t wanted to come, and he hadn’t wanted to bring Alex, either, but Barach thought he was being an idiot about the whole thing. It was a festival. They were supposed to have fun.

The four of them wore the ceremonial clothes declaring them the children of the Isten. Erem raced around in his yellow and silver tartan, but he’d torn the sleeves off his shirt. The cold air didn’t bother him.

Barach’s mother, Pahaliah, had sent a new tartan wrap after he outgrew his old one last year. The black and red material was a finer weight than his previous one, maybe because she thought he wouldn’t outgrow it as fast, but Barach missed the heavier fabric. It had been much warmer.

Pahaliah had also sent Barach new silk black cords to tie his sleeves, but Erem had taken one of them. His boyfriend wore it proudly around his wrist, twisted with his own yellow cord, and showed no sign that he was ever giving it back. 

Barach didn’t mind too much. He had the matching black and yellow set tied on his own wrist, and just kept his sleeves rolled up.

Erem and Alex returned to them with multiple skewers of seared root vegetables. Erem had nearly finished eating the one he held, but Alex held four. The little boy looked a little astounded by his haul.

“Man, those shopkeepers just eat Alex up,” Erem laughed. “They see his face and they can’t give him enough. Here, let me have another.” Erem dropped his empty wooden skewer on the ground and grabbed a second one from Alex.

“Don’t use Alex to scam more food out of people,” Gabriel said, frowning. 

“Aw, Alex doesn’t mind. Do you Alex?” Erem asked, grinning down at him.

Alex shook his head. He held one of the skewers out to Gabriel. “Do you want one?”

“I’m not hungry,” Gabriel grumbled. His little brother lowered his hand slowly, crushed by the rejection.

With a kind smile, Barach took the offered skewer from Alex’s hand. “He’d love one. Thank you,” he said, then he held the speared vegetables before Gabriel’s face. “Eat it, before I force feed it to you.” 

Gabriel glared at him, but Barach glared back. He wouldn’t hesitate to do it if the silver-haired Ahnnak was going to keep acting like this. Gabriel recognized that this wasn’t a battle he would win. 

Sulking, Gabriel snatched the skewer from Barach’s hand and pulled the vegetable off the top with his teeth. He chewed angrily, but at least he was eating. Maybe food would improve his mood.

Alex appeared pleased that he’d been able to share with his brother. He offered a stick to Barach, which the older Ahnnak accepted, then he started eating his last one, content. They all continued walking through the markets together.

Gabriel and Alex wore matching blue and silver tartan kilts, but even dressed alike, it was glaringly obvious how different they were. No wonder everyone considered Alex defective. It was harsh, but seeing him beside Gabriel, it was difficult to see him any other way. Alex didn’t look like he belonged in the Isten Jequn’s colors at all.

Of course, because they appeared so different, most people at the academy didn’t realize Alex was Gabriel’s younger brother. That was probably the only reason Alex hadn’t been dragged into his brother’s problems the past few months. Barach knew Gabriel had been doing everything he could to keep it that way, even if that meant he rarely saw his little brother anymore.

Barach did what he could to help Gabriel, but his friend was a stubborn idiot. He could barely talk about his problems, let alone take Barach’s advise when it came to fixing them. And as much as Barach tried to watch Gabriel’s back, he just didn’t have the time to spare now that the Winter Hunt had begun. 

Hopefully Gabriel wouldn’t do anything to make his problems worse, at least not until after the season was over. 

Something caught Erem’s eye, and he shot off, vanishing into the crowd for a moment. When he came back, he proudly displayed what he’d found. “Look! It flies!” He twisted a little paper maple seed replica between his fingers, sending it spiraling up into the air. He caught it as it floated back down and grinned happily. “Come with me,” he told Alex. “I’ll show you where to get one. You, too, Gabriel.”

“Pass,” said Gabriel, flicking his empty skewer onto the stone. “I don’t want any stupid toys.”

“Then get it and give it to me. If you won’t let me use Alex to get extra stuff, then you have to help.” Erem grabbed Gabriel’s wrist and pulled him over. The silver-haired Ahnnak followed, but he certainly didn’t look happy about it. Alex ran after them, chasing them through the crowd.

Barach followed at a slower pace, keeping an eye on them over the other people. He was glad Erem was having more fun this year. Last year, Barach had been obligated to go along with the Hunt to the festival. It was a couples event, arranged by the captain’s girlfriend Sera, and he’d been matched with Joniel. Erem got to come, too, paired with Juniel, and he’d been miserable the entire time. 

This year, Barach turned the Hunt down. He told Sera he was going to walk the festival with his friends, no dates. She protested, mainly because she wanted Gabriel to join their group. Barach suspected she’d already planned on matching Gabriel up with Vivi at the festival, but that seemed like the least helpful option at the moment, considering Gabriel’s current issues. Barach refused Sera firmly, and when that didn’t work, he went to Lorcas. 

The captain interceded on his behalf, taking the brunt of Sera’s ire, as he approved Barach’s leave from the group activity. Barach thanked him and left before he could fully witness their argument devolve into another round of Sera accusing Lorcas of sleeping with one of the groupies last weekend. He had, of course, after the first match of the Winter Hunt, but Barach didn’t say anything. What went on between Lorcas and Sera really wasn’t any of his business.

Gabriel got one of the maple seed replicas from an old man folding them by a wall. At least his manners held long enough for him to accept it with a bow, before he walked away, dropping it in Erem’s outstretched hands. 

“It’s dumb,” Gabriel said. Erem beamed happily, then encouraged Alex to go up and get one, too. 

The little boy approached the old Homm. He stood nervously before him, watching him fold the paper. “May I have one, please?” he asked, his voice tiny.

The Homm grinned at him and held up one knobbly finger. He selected another piece of parchment and began creasing and folding it. His movements were quick but precise, and within a few moments, he presented Alex with a tiny folded bird. The old Homm tugged on the bottom fold, making the delicate wings flap as he gave a soft, trilling whistle.

Alex smiled brightly, accepting the offering from the old man. He bowed to him. “Thank you,” he said happily, then ran back over to Gabriel. “Look!” 

Gabriel gazed down at the cheerful little boy. He sighed heavily, his expression softening. “It’s very nice,” he said, and gently ruffled Alex’s hair.

“Whatever,” said Erem, making a face. “It can’t even fly. Mine are better.”

Shaking his head over how petty and jealous his boyfriend could get, Barach said, “Come on. We should find somewhere to eat. Get out of this cold.” Both Gabriel and Erem stopped and gave him strange looks. Barach frowned at them. “What?”

“It’s not cold,” Gabriel said, one eyebrow raised. His sleeves were rolled up like Barach’s, his silver ties dangling from his wrists, but he looked perfectly comfortable in the chill weather.

“You know I can’t regulate temperature as easily as you can,” Barach said irritably. “Don’t give me that look.”

“Poor Barach,” Erem teased. “Do you want me to warm you? I’ll let you steal all the heat you want from me.” Gabriel’s mouth twitched, nearly smiling.

“ _Stop it_. Fiends, I’m glad you two find my suffering so amusing,” Barach said, annoyed with them both. “Let’s just go. Besides, Alex is cold, too.”

Gabriel looked down at his little brother. “You are?” Alex nodded, but he didn’t look away from the little paper bird perched delicately in his hands. “Alright. Let’s find a restaurant,” said Gabriel. “If we head over a couple streets and get out of the market, it won’t be as busy. We’ll be able to find a place to eat inside.”

“Great,” said Barach. “Anywhere to warm up.”

They walked through the markets, looking for the narrow alleys that connected the streets. A lot of them were blocked off with additional stalls set up for the Descendants Festival. 

Gabriel stood close to Alex as they navigated through the crowds. “Are you really cold?” he asked his little brother. He had a wing extended behind the black-haired boy, like he wanted to wrap it around him.

“I’m okay,” said Alex. “I just don’t like wearing this skirt.”

“It’s ceremonial,” Gabriel explained patiently.

“Couldn’t they have made ceremonial pants?” asked Alex. 

Gabriel actually laughed. “Yeah, I supposed they could have.”

They found a way through the buildings, cutting through an empty alley at the edge of the market. It was quieter there, the sound of the festival muffled behind them. It wasn’t until they were halfway down the alley that Barach realized something was wrong.

Four Terran men entered the alley behind them. Three more blocked the light before them.

“Barach,” Gabriel said, his voice low.

“I know.” Barach grabbed Erem’s arm, pulling him back, and only then did the blue-skinned boy realize they were surrounded.

One of the men stepped forward, grinning wide. “Ahnnak Gabriel, I presume?” he said, as if he were merely greeting an old friend, but there was nothing friendly about him. He was fully armed, with at least three weapons concealed on his body that Barach could see. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Gabriel asked, stepping forward and holding his head high. Alex tried to follow him those two steps, but Gabriel shoved the little boy back into Barach. Barach put on hand on Alex’s shoulder, keeping him close. If they had to fly out of there, it wouldn’t be good. This alley had a yellow net of fabric stretched over the top, and it would slow them all down enough for the seven Terran men to grab them. 

The man who spoke, the apparent leader of the group, laughed. “You know, you’re skinnier than I thought you’d be. What, are you, twelve?”

Gabriel bristled. “Do you have any idea-”

“The Silver Prince. The Ahnnak heir. The boy my little sister refused her arranged marriage for. My name is Ramisiel. I’ve been watching you for a while. I’m here to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you. What Neramis does is none of my concern.”

_Shit._ This was about one of the girls Gabriel was messing around with. The one in his Communications class. This would not go well at all.

“You think this is a game? You’re going to fix this, Ahnnak,” said Ramisiel. “You’re going to marry my sister, like you promised.”

“I didn’t fucking promise anything-”

The Terran man spread his wings and beat the air hard, sending a cloud of dirt into their eyes. The paper bird flew out of Alex’s hand, and the little boy immediately twisted out of Barach’s grip, scrambling after it. One of the men behind them snatched the paper out of the air.

Gabriel turned and yelled, “Alex!” just as Ramisiel stepped forward and punched the him in the face, knocking him to the ground. 

_Shit._

Alex skidded to a halt, turning back toward his brother, but another of the men behind them lunged, grabbing him about the waist. “Where do you think you’re going, brat?” he asked while Alex struggled. A knife appeared at Alex’s throat, and the boy went completely still, only the flaring of his nostrils and his wide eyes showing how scared he was. 

At the same moment, Erem sprang toward Ramisiel. Barach barely grabbed him in time. “They’ve got knives,” he hissed. 

Erem spat back, “So do I.” 

These were not students at the academy. These were fully grown Terran men with clear combat training. Barach and his friends were outnumbered, and though Barach may have been able to fight a couple of them on his own, he couldn’t defeat all of them. He certainly couldn’t do it and keep his friends safe.

“Don’t,” he said, pleading for his boyfriend to stay out of it. If they attacked now, they wouldn’t have a chance.

Ramisiel pressed his foot to Gabriel’s neck, keeping him on the ground. “At least one of your friends isn’t stupid.” He slid a long dagger out of the sheath at his hip. “Now, you’re going to agree to marry my sister, or I’m going start cutting your face, and I won’t stop until no one thinks you’re pretty for a very, very long time.” Gabriel glared up at him, and then his eyes shifted to where Alex was restrained. Ramisiel followed his gaze. “Or should we start with your friends?”

The man who had caught the paper bird held it up before Alex’s black eyes. “This what you wanted?” he taunted, grinning cruelly. He crushed the delicate paper bird before the little boy. Alex gave a tiny whimper.

For a second, Gabriel’s enraged eyes met Barach’s, and then he looked up at Ramisiel. “Don’t hurt them,” he said, sounding afraid. Helpless. Not at all matching the look in his eyes.

“That depends on how well you behave, isn’t it?” said Ramisiel, tapping his dagger against his thigh. “You agree to marry my sister?”

Gabriel tensed, pressing his palms against the ground. “Never,” he said, and swung his legs up, locking around the Terran’s knee. Gabriel twisted, using the ground for leverage, and Ramisiel fell, surprised by the sudden attack.

Barach released Erem’s arm and shouted, “Now!” 

Without hesitation, Erem shot forward to help Gabriel as Barach pivoted and went back. He charged toward the Terran that held Alex.

He had to believe his friends could take care of themselves. That’s why he forced them to learn how to defend themselves and fight. He couldn’t protect them all, not against this many Terran, and right now, Alex needed him most.

Barach’s fist slammed into the face of the Terran holding Alex before any of them registered the attack. The man crumpled, the knife falling from his limp hand as he hit the ground. Barach flung Alex behind him, putting himself between the little boy and the other three Terran. 

“Stay with me this time,” Barach said sharply. The little boy didn’t speak, but he didn’t run toward his brother, either.

He couldn’t look back. He couldn’t worry about how Erem and Gabriel were doing. He had to focus.

Two of the Terran attacked Barach at once, while the third tried to pass him, either to get to Alex, or to help his gang against Gabriel and Erem. It didn’t matter which. Barach wouldn’t let him go. 

He grabbed one of the Terran trying to punch him, and threw him across the alley into the one who tried to run past. While they worked to disentangle themselves from one another, Barach turned his full attention on the third, quickly crushing the Terran’s wrist and punching him in the jaw, knocking him out. 

Seeing a second of their companions taken down, the other two both came at Barach, fighting together with practiced precision. Barach dodged, doing his best to keep himself between them and Alex, and when the opening presented itself, he sidestepped, using his wing to smash the arm of one of the men. 

The man jumped back, broken arm limp at his side, while the other wildly attacked Barach. He wasn’t as much of a challenge on his own, and Barach quickly broke one of his legs and kicked him in the face as he hit the ground. The Terran didn’t get back up.

The last one with the broken arm tried to run, but Barach launched after him. He slammed him into the wall, then grabbed his hair and hit his face against the stone again. The Terran’s body went limp and Barach let him fall to the ground. 

Breathing hard, Barach returned to Alex, making sure the little boy was safe, before he finally allowed himself to look to his friends. 

One of the Terran lay on the ground, the dagger Ramisiel had been holding embedded in his chest. Erem faced another, knife in hand, daring the bleeding man to get close enough to him again. His back was to Gabriel and Ramisiel, who were fighting toward the end of the alley, but Gabriel wasn’t faring as well. The silver-haired boy couldn’t keep his distance from the Terran man, and he was being pummeled. 

Ramisiel knocked Gabriel down again, then kicked him in the stomach and spat on him. He pulled another knife from a sheath on his ankle, but instead of going after Gabriel, he turned focused on Erem’s back.

_Oh no._

Desperately, Barach lunged forward, propelling himself with his wings, as Ramisiel threw the knife at Erem. Barach collided with his boyfriend, wrapping his wings around him as they fell to the ground. The blade flew past them, barely missing them, but Erem was safe.

There was a small gasp from the other end of the alley. Barach felt his heart stop, and he turned, terrified of what he would see. 

The knife was lodged in the wall behind Alex. The little boy’s eyes were wide and his mouth open in surprise. His wings gave a panicked little flutter. As Barach watched, a straight line of blood appeared on his cheek, going all the way back through his split ear.

He had barely been hit. _Thank the Isten._ Barach sighed with relief, and then kicked out, snapping the knee of the approaching Terran who Erem had been fighting. The man crumpled, and Barach kicked him in the head twice, knocking him unconscious on the second blow.

“Fiend-taken bastard!” yelled Gabriel, bloody and bruised. He ran forward, slamming into Ramisiel and knocking him to the ground. They rolled past Barach and Erem in a blur of wings and silver. 

Barach quickly checked Erem over to see that he was alright. His boyfriend gave him a quick, fearless smile. He had a couple shallow cuts on his arms, but he was otherwise unharmed. Relieved, Barach got up and went over to pull Gabriel off the defeated Terran.

There were times growing up when someone would push Gabriel too far, and he would snap, becoming completely vicious and uncontrollable. Ramisiel had pushed Gabriel too far. The silver-haired boy sat on his chest and punched his face, even though the Terran had already stopped moving. 

The air crackled as Gabriel raised his fist again. Electric sparks danced around his skin, condensing into a powerful charge of energy. Barach realized Gabriel had every intention of killing the Terran by stopping his heart. 

Quickly, Barach grabbed his friend's wrist before the surge could be released. The familiar electrical current filled Barach, absorbing into his body. Gabriel turned, no hint of recognition in his wild blue eyes. He snarled and released a burst of energy that made Barach’s hair stand on end, but he was touching Gabriel. He could absorb the energy nearly as fast as Gabriel could produce it. 

His friend’s power had increased, though. If Barach hadn’t had years of practice subduing him, he might not have been able to keep up.

Barach grabbed Gabriel by the throat and lifted him off the bloody, unconscious Terran. He pinned him to the stone wall as Gabriel’s crackling fingers dug into his arm. 

“It’s over,” Barach said, teeth gritted. “Calm down.” He squeezed until his friend’s vision dimmed, and the waves of violent energy rolling off him subsided.

Just before he passed out, Barach eased his grip on Gabriel’s neck. The silver-haired boy sucked in a breath and coughed as Barach lowered him to the ground. His legs folded beneath him, and Gabriel sat by the wall, looking beaten and angry.

Erem crouched beside Gabriel while Barach went over to check on Alex. The shallow cut on the boy's cheek had already stopped bleeding, but his ear was sliced in half. He stood there with eyes wide, staring at Gabriel while he attempted to control the hiccuping sobs that threatened to overtake him.

“You’re okay,” Barach assured him. “It’s just a little cut.” It wasn’t until he stepped in front of Alex, blocking his view of Gabriel, that he saw Alex blink. Barach realized Alex wasn’t afraid of the attacking Terran at all. He was afraid of his brother.

“Damn it, Erem! Back off!” Gabriel yelled. 

“You need a medic,” Erem said, not at all put off by Gabriel’s temper. 

“The hospital is close,” said Barach, placing a hand on Alex’s back and guiding him over to the others. The little boy trembled, but didn’t resist him.

“I am not going to the hospital,” Gabriel insisted sharply.

“We can’t stay here,” Barach said. “They’re going to start waking up.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Gabriel said, and tried to stand up by himself. He gasped and doubled over in pain. 

“I think your ribs are broken,” said Erem, watching the pain on Gabriel’s face intently. “You can’t fly back to the academy like this.”

“I fucking know,” Gabriel hissed, glaring at him. 

Barach stepped in, grabbing Gabriel’s arm and pulling him to his feet. He ignored his friend’s cry of pain and helped him stand. “We have to go. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“They’ll report it to the academy,” Gabriel snapped, leaning heavily on Barach. “I’m not going there.”

“We could go to Zak’s.” The suggestion came from Alex, his words barely a whisper.

Gabriel looked over at his little brother, his brow furrowed. “Who the fuck is Zak?”


	115. Gabriel: 26th Degree of Descendants, 595 DE

Gabriel lay on the floor in the small, dingy apartment, glaring up at the ceiling while the healer Sophie examined his bare chest. He’d been just as surprised to see her there as she was to see him at the door, but once she saw his injuries, she acted fast, getting him inside, undressed, and on the floor. Her touch was light, trailing over his bruised skin, leaving a warm wake of energy in its place. 

“What happened?” Remiel asked, arms wrapped around himself anxiously. The bronze-skinned Ahnnak had been at the apartment too, which Gabriel expected once he saw Sophie there, but he wasn’t dressed in the colors of his Isten at all. He wore some baggy pants and a sweater that appeared to have been picked up off the floor. It was very unlike the normally fastidious Ahnnak. 

Remiel had requested the night off for the Descendants Festival, since Alex was going be with Gabriel anyway. What he and Sophie were doing with some random Terran she knew from her healing classes, instead of out enjoying the festival, Gabriel didn’t understand. 

Then again, Gabriel supposed he was fortunate they weren’t out, considering how his night had gone.

“We were attacked,” Barach said, standing beside Remiel at the apartment’s small, warm stove. “Seven Terran men.”

“And they all went after Gabriel?” asked Remiel.

Barach shook his head. “I took out four.”

Erem sat on the window sill, angled so he could watch Sophie work while still staying out of the way. “I helped Gabriel with the other three. We took out one of them together, but I could only keep the second back while Gabriel fought the big one. Damn, he got you good, Gabriel.” 

Gabriel raised a hand and aimed a rude gesture at Erem. Sophie tapped his bare chest. “Lie still,” she instructed. He lowered his hand back to his side and closed his eyes. Her healing energy stretched into him, examining his wounds, easing some of the pain, but doing nothing to fix his injuries yet. 

“You guys are lucky you all weren’t hurt more,” said Remiel. “Especially Alex. If they’d gotten a hold of him-”

“They did,” interrupted Barach. “They grabbed him, but I took them out before they could hurt him.”

“Thank the Isten you were there, Barach,” Remiel said with a heavy sigh. “I hate to think what could have happened otherwise.”

Gabriel clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the angry flash of jealously and self-hatred that burned through him. It was his fault Alex had been put in danger like that, and he’d been able to do nothing to protect him. 

“Calm down,” Sophie whispered, her lips barely moving. “Your energy is making it difficult for me to focus.”

“I’m trying,” he murmured back. He clenched his fists, letting his short nails dig into his palms.

“Alex will be okay,” she said reassuringly. “Zak will take care of him.”

The Terran healer Tzakquiel, who everyone called Zak, had taken Alex into the bedroom to mend his ear. It irritated Gabriel that Remiel had been bringing Alex to this random guy’s home so often that Alex was comfortable alone with him. It wasn’t right.

“You should have healed Alex first,” Gabriel said. 

“You needed me more. Relax. I’m almost done assessing your injuries.” Gabriel attempted to listen to her, but the entire time he lay there, Barach spoke with Remiel, describing the fight. Every once in a while, Erem joined in, adding a detail that would make Gabriel’s temper spike. He was so angry with himself for putting Alex in that kind of danger, he could barely stand it.

After a few more minutes, the bedroom door opened and Zak walked out with Alex. “All better,” said Zak, smiling. Alex rubbed his ear, but the only sign he’d been injured was the blood on his white shirt. 

“How are you feeling?” Remiel asked as he went over and checked on the little boy. Alex nodded, but he didn’t say anything. He looked exhausted.

Zak walked over to stand behind Sophie. He tilted his head as he gazed down at Gabriel. “Is this the kid who gave Rem a black eye last month?”

“He’s injured, Zak,” said Sophie, her healing energy abating.

“Well, why do you have to heal him?”

“Because that’s what we do.”

“But he hurt Rem.”

Gabriel glared up at Zak. He decided right then that he didn’t like the Terran. “Remiel left Alex alone. He deserved to be hit.”

Zak’s wings bristled. “I don’t care who you think you are, you don’t get to hurt him.” 

Gabriel scoffed. “What are you, his boyfriend?”

Remiel grabbed Zak’s arm before he could say anything else, jerking him back. “Don’t fight. Please,” he begged. “Alex is hungry. Let’s take everyone down to the tavern. Get some food.”

“Fine,” Zak said. He glared down at Gabriel one more time, then walked toward the door. 

“Do you need anything?” Remiel asked Sophie. 

“A little peace and quiet would be nice,” she said.

Remiel nodded. “Barach, can you join us?”

Barach looked a little uncertain about leaving Gabriel alone, but he said, “Yeah. Come on, Erem.”

“I want to watch,” the blue-skinned Ahnnak said.

“Erem,” Barach said firmly.

“Alright,” he groaned, hopping off the window sill. “But you better buy me something delicious.”

Gabriel watched his friends leave with the others. The door closed, and he was alone with Sophie. “Zak has a point,” she said, looking down at him. “I don’t like it when you hurt Remi, either.”

“His only job is to take care of Alex,” he replied. 

“He’s not your servant. He already does a thousand things for your little brother that you’re too busy to do. If you should be angry at anyone, you should be angry with yourself.”

Her words were sharp. They made Gabriel mad. “You have no idea what I do to protect Alex.”

“Like you did tonight?”

Gabriel fell silent, looking away. 

Sophie’s hand touched his chest again. “I can set your bones, but I can’t fully heal them. Your spleen is ruptured, and that’s going to take half my energy to heal, but I think it’s essential. There’s some minor internal bleeding I’ll fix as well, and I can temporarily boost your healing and dull your pain, but you’ll have to let the rest mend on its own. Which means no roughhousing or fighting for at least a week.”

“Can you stop the bruising on my face?” he asked.

“Are you really that vain?” she replied.

Gabriel closed his eyes. “I don’t want people asking questions about the fight.” 

“If I don’t dull your pain or boost your healing, I might be able to fix your face.”

He nodded. “Do it.”

Sophie began working on Gabriel, and he lay still, trying not to think of all the terrible things that could have happened. It had been a mistake to take Alex out for the festival. He should have left Alex with his friends. The boy wasn’t safe with Gabriel, not at the academy, and not in Marut. 

As much as it pained Gabriel, he knew it was best if they stayed away from one another.

Alex had friends. He had Remiel, when the Ahnnak wasn’t messing around and avoiding his responsibilities. Alex would be fine. It was better for Alex here than with Jequn, and Gabriel would do everything he could to stop his little brother from being returned to that man. 

Music drifted up from the tavern below. Twinges of pain made Gabriel flinch as Sophie’s energy shifted his bones into place, but he tried to remain motionless. His mind wandered, curling around thoughts he’d had before.

“You’ve healed Alex a lot, haven’t you?” Gabriel asked Sophie.

“I know that little boy’s system nearly as well as I know my own,” she replied, not breaking focus from her healing.

“Do you think Alex’s eyes would turn back to normal if they were removed?”

Sophie froze, her healing energy receding. “Did you just ask me what would happen if you cut your brother’s eyes out?”

Gabriel turned his face away. “Forget it.”

After a few seconds, Sophie resumed healing him, but she never did answer his question.


	116. Barachiel: 1st Degree of Saviors, 595 DE

The first day back in class after the Descendants Festival, a messenger came for Barach during his morning class. Barach knew there was a problem. He got up, leaving the room without bothering to ask permission from the instructor. 

“Headmaster Iscriel has summoned you,” the Terran messenger told him in the hall. “I’m here to escort you.”

“I don’t need an escort. I know where the office is.”

“I’m afraid he insisted.” 

With a sharp wave of his hand, Barach motioned for the messenger to lead the way. He followed after, annoyed by how many times the Terran looked back to make sure he was still there.

Up on the administration level, Barach was ushered immediately inside the Headmaster’s office. Iscriel was seated at his desk, a serious expression creasing his face. 

Gabriel stood before Iscriel, rigid and unreadable. He wore long sleeves and pants which covered nearly all his skin, though it wasn’t because of the cold. He was hiding the bruises that covered his body after the fight. Gabriel was squeezing his wings tight against his back, suppressing the small tremor that raced through him.

When Barach stopped beside Gabriel, he was surprised to see Lorcas in the room, standing in the corner behind the Headmaster’s desk. The Captain didn’t look happy. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, grey eyes locked on Barach. He scowled disapprovingly, but didn’t speak.

“Good morning, Ahnnak Barachiel. Thank you for joining us,” said the Headmaster. “I was just discussing the disturbing news I received this weekend. Perhaps you will be able to shed some light on the matter.” Barach remained silent. The Headmaster leaned forward, steepling his fingers before his face. “It seems there was an altercation in Marut during the holiday involving academy students. Do you know anything about this?”

“No,” Barach said. “May we go now?”

Iscriel’s brow furrowed. “No. I’m afraid it’s more serious than that. Investigation of the incident has revealed witnesses who claim to have seen an Ahnnak boy with silver hair and a larger Ahnnak with short, dark hair leaving the scene together. As much as I wish I didn’t have to consider the possibility, that description leaves me very little options.” Iscriel sighed heavily and lowered his hands to the desk. “Two Terran were hospitalized in critical condition. Five more sustained substantial injuries. For academy students to have participated in such violence, my only course of action is to issue a reprimand and a month long suspension.”

Gabriel’s wings gave an anxious twitch, but he held them so tight to his back, no one in the room noticed but Barach. Gabriel’s face remained placid, his blue eyes locked on Headmaster Iscriel. His lips moved, like he wanted to speak, but no sound came out. He swallowed hard, licked his lips, and tried again. “Sir-”

“It was me,” Barach said. “I attacked the men in the alley when they went after my friends. No one else had anything to do with it.”

Headmaster Iscriel’s eyes shifted from Gabriel to Barach. “Do you realize how serious this is, Barachiel? For a trained member of the Hunt, an Ahnnak, no less, to attack civilian Terran during a festival-”

“They attacked us first,” Barach said sharply. “Am I not even allowed to defend myself? Or my friends?”

“It was a festival. You find security or an adult to help. You don’t try to handle the situation yourself.”

“There wasn’t time,” he insisted. “If I hadn’t stopped those men, you would be contacting Isten this morning to report our deaths, rather than speaking to me.”

“That may be, Barachiel, but actions have consequences. The academy cannot allow student behavior such as this to become common beyond Archridge. We have a reputation to uphold. I have no choice but to suspend you for the rest of Saviors.”

At that, Lorcas stepped forward. “Headmaster, wait. You can’t suspend him.”

Iscriel looked back at Lorcas as the Terran approached the desk. “Lorcasiel, I allow you to be present for all disciplinary meetings involving students participating in the Hunt, but your opinion is not necessary.”

“We have three games this month,” Lorcas said. “I need him on the team.”

“I’m sorry, Lorcasiel. Rules are rules.”

“We don’t have another bruiser capable of flight, Headmaster. Wels graduated last year. If you suspend Barach, you’re grounding my squad. You are destroying any chance Archridge has at making it to the Championship.” 

The Headmaster looked up into the Captain’s intense grey eyes. “I cannot allow him to avoid punishment.”

“I’m not asking you to avoid punishing him. The stupid little shit deserves it,” Lorcas closed his eyes and took a breath, calming himself down. “Fighting at all, doing anything to risk his position in the Hunt… Barach deserves to be punished. But please, don’t suspend him. Flog him every day for a month, I don’t care, but I need him here.”

Headmaster Iscriel leaned back, contemplating. “Rules are fairly specific when it comes to fighting,” he said. “However, I may be able to commute part of the sentence to a physical reprimand.” Iscriel looked to Barach. “One-hundred-and-five lashes, your age for each Terran you attacked, and a week long suspension.”

“Headmaster, he’ll still miss a game,” Lorcas protested.

“You can adapt to one Hunt without your teammate,” Iscriel said firmly. “It is either that, or Barachiel is out for the month. Do you agree?”

Clenching his teeth, Lorcas nodded. He stepped back from the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. The look he gave Barach wasn’t friendly.

“Do you accept the commuted sentence?” the Headmaster asked Barach.

Barach looked from the Headmaster, to Lorcas, then to Gabriel. His friend stood at his side, visibly shaking, but he didn’t say anything. His blue eyes turned to Barach, meeting his gaze. There was so much anguish in Gabriel’s eyes that he wasn’t accepting the punishment with him, but he couldn’t. His grades mattered more to him. 

“I accept,” Barach said, holding Gabriel’s gaze. 

“Good,” Headmaster Iscriel declared, standing up. “Glad this could be settled reasonably. I expect you to be on your best behavior going forward. Submit yourself to the disciplinary office for your punishment. You’re dismissed.”

Barach and Gabriel both bowed slightly to the Headmaster, then left the room. Lorcas remained behind.

In the hall, after the door shut behind them, Gabriel grabbed Barach’s arm, stopping him from walking any further. “I’m sorry,” the silver-haired boy blurted. 

“It was my choice, Gabriel,” Barach said, looking back at him. “We don’t both need to be punished. I’m just glad Alex and Erem weren’t brought into this.” 

Gabriel nodded, but his brow furrowed. “I should have said something. I shouldn’t let you go through this alone.” 

“But you will,” Barach said, and he didn’t mean the words to sound as cynical as they did. “Because if you don’t, your grades will suffer, and we can’t have that, can we?”

“There’s only two months left in the year. I can’t-”

The door opened and Lorcas stomped out. He marched up to Barach, grabbed the front of his shirt, and slammed him against the wall. “ _You stupid fuck_. How many times have I told you all not to get into fights outside Archridge? In Marut, during the festival-” Lorcas was so angry, his fists shook as he slammed Barach back against the wall again. “If we lose this game because you’re not there, I’m going to make your hundred-and-five lashes feel like a summer breeze.”

“They were going to hurt my friends,” Barach said, glaring at his Captain. 

“Next time, you let them,” Lorcas hissed through gritted teeth. “You get the fuck out of the situation. You don’t make it worse.” 

“I’m not going to abandon my friends.”

“Then maybe don’t let seven men sneak up on you again, you ignorant little shit.” He shoved back from Barach, still fuming. “This is why I let Sera organize that ridiculous Descendants event, to keep idiots like you from doing something stupid during the festival.” Lorcas sneered at Gabriel. “And you-”

“Leave him alone, Captain,” said Barach, moving between them. 

Lorcas glared at Gabriel over Barach’s shoulder, then turned his angry grey eyes back to Barach. “I have no doubt he was every bit as involved in the fight as you. If we lose this championship, I’m taking it out on both of you.”

“Then don’t fuck up the game this weekend,” said Barach. For a second, he thought Lorcas was going to hit him. But the Terran refrained, and Barach added, “Just run Mikkon as your tracker, and you play bruiser.”

“The fact that I have to run any of our second line in the second game of the season is your fault,” snapped Lorcas. “When you’re back in practice, you can bet I’m going to ride your ass until you collapse.”

“As long as you don’t lose the game,” said Barach.

Lorcas snarled at him, then spun and stomped out of the office. Barach exhaled heavily, reminding himself that it didn’t matter if the Captain was angry at him. It was just a game.

Gabriel stepped up, reaching out to Barach again, but the older Ahnnak shrugged away from him. “I have to go,” Barach said, feeling frustrated. It wasn’t all at Gabriel, but a lot of it was because of him. “They’re expecting me in the disciplinary office.” It had been a long time since he received a formal lashing at the academy, but the last time had been because of Gabriel and Erem, too. They were nothing but trouble.

Leaving his silver-haired friend behind, Barach went to accept his punishment.

***

Barach lay on his stomach in Erem’s bed, waiting for his boyfriend to return with dinner from the dining hall. When the door opened, he knew immediately whose footsteps approached, even if he didn’t bother opening his eyes to see. 

“Don’t you have some girl to entertain tonight?” asked Barach.

“I canceled,” said Gabriel. “I wanted to be here with you.” He sat on the side of the bed, carefully raising one of the damp strips of cloth to peer at the damage to Barach’s back. “What happened to your wing?”

There was a raw stripe of dislodged feathers on Barach’s right wing. It still stung, worse that his entire back, but he couldn’t stand to have the wet cloth touching his feathers. It made his wing twitch, which just made the pain worse.

“The executioner in the disciplinary office doesn’t have as good of aim as Ku-Iannan,” Barach said. He rolled his head, pressing his face into his pillow. 

“I’m sorry, Barach,” Gabriel said. He carefully began removing the old cloths and replacing them with clean and cool strips from the basin beside the bed. “I shouldn’t have let you take the blame like that.”

“You didn’t let me do anything, Gabriel. I make my own choices.”

“I know how much the Hunt means to you. If I had explained what really happened, maybe Crispy wouldn’t have refused to let you play.”

“Or we’d both be suspended for a month. Being in class doesn’t matter to me. It matters to you.”

Gabriel's fingers gently stroked the undamaged skin between Barach’s welts, his touch providing a cool numbness to the area. “Do you hate me?” he asked softly.

“Sometimes you’re so selfish, I think I do, but no.” He turned his head so he could look back at Gabriel, and he saw his friend quickly wipe a tear away from his face.

“I’m sorry, Barach. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

“You know I’ll always be there to protect you Gabriel. No matter what.” 

The silver-haired boy nodded and sniffled. _Fiends, he was adorable when he cried_. Barach looked away, because that was definitely not what he should be thinking right now. 

“Erem will be back soon. Are you going to stay?” asked Barach.

“Do you want me to?”

“I wouldn’t mind. The cold feels good.” 

“Then I’ll stay,” said Gabriel. He hesitated, then added, “Thank you, Barach. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Let’s hope we never have to find out,” he replied. He relaxed, letting Gabriel’s cool touch numb some of his pain.


	117. Alex: 22nd Degree of Saviors, 595 DE

“I want to show you something,” Remiel said, walking through the halls in Archridge with Alex. 

“Is it another book on energy manipulation?” Alex asked dully. He’d seen enough books on the subject in the last month. He wasn’t interested.

“It’s not a book, but it is a secret. Can you keep a secret, Alex?” 

“Yes,” Alex said, looking at his tutor strangely. Remiel had been acting odd the last couple days. Maybe Alex was about to find out why.

They went to Remiel’s room. The room was always messy, except for the middle bunk, which belonged to Remiel. His roommates were out at the moment, but they’d left their stuff strewn across the floor. Remiel kicked it all aside. “Go ahead and sit.” He pointed at the empty spot he cleared. 

While Alex folded his legs and sat, Remiel went over to his closet. He stood on his toes, using his wings to give him just a tiny bit more of a boost, and grabbed a box on the top shelf. He brought it over and sat across from Alex.

“I know you’ve been having problems with Kasdeja-”

“She terrifies me,” Alex stated. The Isten Kasdeja started coming in for his Biology class every other day to assist the students having trouble channeling elements. That meant Alex. Her entire focus was nearly always on Alex, and he hated the way she watched him. It was like she could see right through him.

“We tried everything we could before Descendants, Alex.” Remiel tapped on the closed lid of his box. “Sophie and Zak say there’s no physical reason you can’t use energy.”

“But I can’t,” Alex insisted.

Remiel nodded. “I know you’re scared of accidentally summoning that black spark again, but the Isten is going to keep working with you until you produce something.”

Alex pouted. “I don’t think I should show her that I can turn an apple into dust.” That was what had happened the last time Remiel and Alex worked together, trying to figure out how Alex could produce a flame. 

“I don’t think you should show her that either,” Remiel agreed. “Which is why I figured out a different solution.” He spun the box around and opened it up. A thin cord of red thread, lightly twisted and held together with a metal clasp, lay in the box, among a couple pieces of kindling and a few other sewing supplies.

“A bracelet?” Alex asked.

“It is,” said Remiel. “Something Zak asked me a few weeks ago got me thinking.” He took a black thread from the box and held it between his fingers. With a little concentration, the thread went stiff. “Threading locks energy into a string in order to make it easier to sew.” Remiel held the thread up. It began to undulate back and forth, like it was making neat stitches through fabric.

Alex nodded. He’d seen Remiel do that before, one of the times Alex tripped and fell. He’d ripped his shirt and was upset about how much skin it revealed, but Remiel had been able to use a single thread to quickly mend the tear. 

Remiel had explained it was a secret technique, like the one he used to drill a hole through the wooden medallion Alex wore around his neck. Alex understood. And he was good at keeping secrets.

Remiel snapped the end of the thread and it went still. He held it between his fingers again. “What Zak asked me was if I had to use ice. And it’s not really ice, of course, but that’s not the point. Why couldn’t I lock another element into the thread entirely?” As he spoke, the thread slowly began to turn red. “It took a bit of experimenting, but I figured it out.”

“Figured what out?” Alex asked, watching the thread turn entirely red. “I can’t do that either.”

“I know, but _I_ can.” Remiel picked up a piece of kindling from the box and wrapped the red thread around it. When he snapped the end this time, fire ignited, racing around the thread and burning the wood. Remiel let it burn for a couple seconds, then shook the wood, putting the fire out. “I can lock fire into the thread. You don’t have to use energy at all.”

Alex stared at him, black eyes wide. “Show me again,” he said.

Remiel shook his head. “Try it yourself.” He picked up the red bracelet from the box. “The ends of this thread aren’t part of the block. It’s just the center.” He pointed out where the thread faded from black to red, like it had been dyed. “Just break off a thread from each end, like this.” He tugged a single thread from each side of the clasp. “Then wrap it around wood, and snap the red part.” He held the loose thread out to Alex.

Cautiously, Alex took the thread. He picked up one of the pieces of kindling and wrapped the thread around it twice. After looking to Remiel for encouragement, he pressed his grey nail to the thread and snapped it. He held the kindling up in awe as the flame raced around it, igniting it in a heartbeat. 

Remiel blew out the flame before it could touch Alex’s fingers. “What do you think?” he asked, green eyes glittering with excitement.

“Isn’t this cheating?” asked Alex, looking to his tutor.

“It’s… It’s difficult. But yes, technically it is cheating,” Remiel admitted. “If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to use it.”

“I love it,” Alex said quickly, before Remiel could change his mind. “Only, won’t the Isten be able to tell?”

“You’re going to have to practice a lot before you use it in class,” Remiel said firmly. “I will get in so much trouble if the teachers find out about this.”

“I won’t tell,” Alex promised. He pulled out another thread from the bracelet. “Will you make me more if I run out?”

“Yes. I’ve already made extra. You’re really going to need to practice a lot, because it’s not just the flame Kasdeja will be looking for. She’s going to need to sense an increase of energy from you before you ignite the spark. And you can’t hold it. You have to burn something, but at your age, they’ll usually look to have to you demonstrate on a piece of wood. They think it helps kids focus better.”

Nodding along with Remiel’s words, Alex wrapped the thread around the kindling again. “I can do that.” He broke the thread and watched the wood burn again. He shook it out when it got too close to his fingers.

Remiel leaned back on his hands, spreading his wings behind him. He smiled softly at Alex. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to help you.” 

“What are you talking about? This is amazing, Remi.” Alex took another thread from the bracelet, stretched it between his fingers, and snapped it apart. Both sides ignited, curling up toward his fingers. He released them before they touched him, and the fiery ends floated up into the air before consuming the rest of the thread and sputtering out. “If I can use this in class, the Isten and the instructors won’t bother me anymore.”

“But they can’t find out,” Remiel reminded him. “That’s why I made it look like a bracelet. So you can always have it with you, but it doesn’t look suspicious. Also, because it’s not being aligned as a rigid element, the thread stays soft and flexible, so it shouldn’t go off until you release it.”

Alex held his arm out, and Remiel leaned forward. He took the red cord and attached the clasp around Alex’s wrist. The black-haired boy shook his arm, feeling the extra weight of the bracelet slide against his skin, but he knew he’d get used to it. 

Taking another thread from the bracelet, Alex said, “I promise I won’t tell anyone. I’ll be super careful anytime I use it.” He stretched the thread between his fingers again, but just as he did, the door burst open, and Remiel’s roommate Chaidi entered.

“Forgot my kit- Whoa.” Alex startled, the thread snapping apart and bursting into flame. He shook out his hands, trying to put it out, but the flame burned to the end of the thread.

The Terran shut the door behind him and walked in. “Damn, Mama Rem, is that what you’ve been working on the last two weeks?” he asked, approaching them.

Remiel snapped the box shut. “Mind your own business, Chaidi.”

“I thought you were just practicing more of your prissy little sewing projects.” Chaidi crouched beside Alex. “Let me see what it does again, kid.”

Alex leaned away from the Terran. Remiel stood up, grabbed Chaidi’s arm, and pulled him away from Alex. “Leave him alone.”

Chaidi grinned, backing up with Remiel as he moved him toward the door. “If I didn’t know you any better, Mama, I’d say you were doing something prohibited.”

“Chaidi-”

“I’m not going to tell,” the Terran said. “I want some.”

“I’m not making you anything.” Remiel opened the door and began shoving the Terran out.

“I’ll pay you for it,” exclaimed Chaidi, grabbing the door frame to prevent himself from being ejected.

Remiel paused. He tilted his head. “Pay?” Chaidi grinned and nodded. Remiel shook his head, chasing the thoughts away. “No. Out, Chaidi.”

“But my kit-”

Remiel shoved him out and slammed the door in his face. He walked over and grabbed a bag with some wooden handles sticking out the top, then returned to the door. He opened it and threw the bag out. Alex heard Chaidi grunt as he caught it. 

“We’ll talk later, Rem,” said Chaidi, before Remiel slammed the door again. He ran his fingers through his thick brown hair, leaning back against the wood.

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispered.

“No, it’s not your fault,” said Remiel. “It’ll be fine. Chaidi won’t tell anyone, he’s just annoying.” He sighed heavily and lowered his hands, letting his hair fall back around his face. “I didn’t think he noticed me working on it. I only did it late at night, when they were supposed to be sleeping. I should have been more careful.”

Remiel walked over and picked up the box. He returned it to the high shelf in his closet. “If you run out, Alex, let me know. I’ve got another cord ready for you, but I’ll keep it here until you need it.” 

“Okay,” Alex muttered, still feeling bad that he’d already revealed Remiel’s secret. 

Returning to him, Remiel offered Alex his hand. “You ready for dinner?” 

Alex took his tutor’s hand and stood. Before he could think about it too much, he quickly stepped forward and hugged Remiel. It was brief, but when he backed up, he looked up at Remiel and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Alex,” Remiel said, smiling down at him with adoration. He tucked some of Alex’s black hair behind his ear. “Let’s go eat.” 

They left the room together, the weight of the bracelet already comfortable on Alex’s wrist.


	118. Gabriel: 6th Degree of Wind, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tassin gives Gabriel an end of the year ultimatum.
> 
> (CW: non-con)

Gabriel stood around the corner from the enclave of the Hunt, watching the last of the Huntsmen leave after their practice. He stayed in the shadows, out of sight, waiting. 

After last month, when Barach had been suspended from class and the Hunt for a week, Lorcas had been really hard on the Ahnnak, working him over during practice and forcing him to stay late to clean the enclave after. It took Barach nearly an hour after the last of the other Huntsmen left, but he never complained. 

At least the Archridge Hunt had won all their winter games this year. They were guaranteed to get into the championship next weekend. This weekend, there were no games scheduled, so the team remained at the academy to prepare for the upcoming championship.

As much as Gabriel wanted to be happy for his friend, right now, he just didn’t care. There were too many other things going on that concerned him more.

Neramis, the Terran girl whose brother attacked Gabriel during the Descendants Festival, had been removed from the academy. After her brother’s injury, her parents forced her to fulfill her arranged marriage contract. Now, Gabriel had to complete all his Communications coursework himself, and though it wasn’t hard, it was tedious. Most of his evenings were spent catching up on the endless essays.

However, even the problems with that class and the girl paled in comparison to what had happened with Tassin today.

Gabriel had waited until the rest of the class left for lunch before he approached Tassin’s desk. “You wanted to see me, sir?” he asked, already dreading whatever the Homm was going to say. 

Tassin finished writing the note on the parchment before him, then added it to the stack off to the side. He looked up at Gabriel with that sleazy grin he got any time they were alone. “This is our last month together with you in my class,” he said. 

_Finally_ , Gabriel thought. 

“Yes, sir,” he said. 

“As you’re aware, I’ve been adjusting your grades due to your-” He looked Gabriel up and down salaciously. “- _good behavior_. But I’ve decided, for your final, I’m going to need more.”

“We had a deal, Tassin,” Gabriel said, glaring at the Homm. He had feared it would be something like this. 

“I adjusted your monthly reports, _Gabe_ ,” said Tassin. Gabriel _hated_ the way the Homm’s filthy mouth twisted the nickname out into an extra syllable, taunting him. “But officially, I’ve kept track of your actual work. You know, all those assignments you turned in whose errors I overlooked.”

“You already reported them as correct,” Gabriel argued.

“Clerical errors do happen, little Ahnnak,” Tassin replied. “That’s why this final grade is the only one that _really_ matters.” He rose, standing only a couple hands taller than Gabriel now. “And your official grade leaves much to be desired. You barely passed, and once I calculate in next week’s final test…” Tassin shrugged. He stopped beside Gabriel, leering down at him. “The odds of you passing my class don’t look so good.”

Teeth clenched, Gabriel asked, “What do you want?”

“I want you beneath me, where you belong, Ahnnak. I want to sink into your ass, and breed you like the desperate little whore you are.”

The Homm’s words repulsed Gabriel. He stepped back. “Never.” 

Tassin followed casually. “I’m not asking permission, Gabe. This isn’t our game anymore. If you want your perfect grade, you will come to my room, and you will submit to me.”

“You promised you wouldn’t touch me.” Gabriel hated how young his voice sounded. How scared. He took another step back, but the Homm closed the distance again. “I’ll tell Headmaster Iscriel what you’ve been doing. Y-You’ll be arrested. You’ll be executed!”

“I’m willing to risk death to fuck your tight ass,” said Tassin, his eyes manic with lust. “I can’t get the taste of you out of my mind. I have to have you.” He reached out like he would touch Gabriel’s hair, but the boy cringed away from him, taking another step back. “I know you want me, that you want a real man inside you. I can see it in the way you tease me every time you walk by. I see the desperation in your blue eyes.”

“No,” said Gabriel, shaking his head. “I don’t. I can’t do this. I haven’t-” His words cut off. He knew the Homm wouldn’t care.

“You expect me to believe that?” asked Tassin, smirking. “I hear rumors, Gabe. I know what a little slut you’ve become. What’s one more?”

With a sinking feeling, Gabriel realized there was no possibility of talking his way out of this. He swallowed hard, fighting the nausea that threatened to overtake him. 

“I’ll be generous,” Tassin said thoughtfully. “I’ll give you the weekend to make your decision, but if we start the next week and you still haven’t come to me, I’m going to fail you. I have your actual grades ready to go, and I won’t hesitate to turn them in. It’s your choice.” He started to say more, but just then, the door opened.

Another student entered the room, briefly knocking before she stepped in and asked, “Can I ask you a question about yesterday’s classwork, Instructor?” 

“Yes, of course. Come in,” Tassin said, returning to his desk. “That’ll be all for today, Ahnnak Gabriel.” His dismissive tone was formal and polite, as if he hadn’t just demanded Gabriel let the man rape him. 

Shaking, Gabriel picked up his books and hurried out of the room. He spent the remainder of his lunch period in the bathroom heaving, though there was nothing more that could come up.

He continued to his next two classes in a dazed stupor, going through the motions, but not really there. He just stared at the electrical box they were building in Elemental Sciences, until Lorcas took it from him and started doing the work himself. Gabriel didn’t even care enough to argue with him. 

It wasn’t until he got back to his dorm at the end of the day that he felt like he could think. He paced his room, muttering to himself, trying to figure out what he would do, but he didn’t really have a choice, did he? 

His grades or his body.

He knew what he would do, and he hated himself for it.

There were three days to the weekend before him. Gabriel would put it off for as long as he could, but he couldn’t delay forever.

Sitting outside the enclave of the Hunt, Gabriel finally saw the last of the Huntsmen leave for dinner. He waited a minute more, and then went in, searching for Barach. He found his friend in the empty locker room, picking up damp towels and tossing them into a bin. He looked surprised to see Gabriel there.

“Gabriel, what’s wrong?” Barach asked, dropping the towel and walking up to him. Barach could always read him so well. He always knew when Gabriel was upset, even when he tried to hide it.

“I need help,” said Gabriel.

“Anything,” Barach immediately agreed.

“I need you to fuck me.”

“What?” Barach’s wings snapped open in shock.

“Please,” said Gabriel, looking up at Barach with ice-blue eyes.

“Gabriel, what is going on? Why are you acting like this?” 

“Barach, don’t ask questions, just-”

“No, you don’t get to demand something like that and then keep it secret,” stated Barach. “Tell me.”

“I can’t.”

“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”

“Then I’ll go ask Erem.”

Barach grabbed his arm before he could turn away. Gabriel found himself pinned to a locker by the older, larger Ahnnak. “No,” said Barach. “You’re not leaving here until you’ve told me what this is about. I’m tired of you hiding everything from me, Gabriel. I’ve let it slide long enough. You’re going to talk.”

Gabriel briefly struggled against him, but there was really nothing he could do. He held onto Barach’s wrists, and he knew his friend could feel him shake, but he didn’t let go. “I just… You’ve done this before, and… And I can’t have my first time like that be with someone like him.”

“Like who?” Barach demanded.

“Tassin.” 

Barach’s brow furrowed. “The Homm instructor? Why would-” His words cut off, his eyes growing wide. “No… Gabriel, no. Please tell me you haven’t…”

“He mostly just watched,” Gabriel muttered, looking down. “Sometimes he tasted me or swallowed, but I didn’t think he would ask for this.” It sounded so horrible saying it all aloud.

“Why?” Barach asked desperately. 

“He fixed my grades.”

“Damn it, Gabriel!” Barach slammed the silver-haired boy back against the lockers, hard enough that he could feel the ache through his wings and back. He knew he would bruise, though he was currently too numb to care about much of anything. Holding Gabriel against the lockers, Barach lowered his head and slumped, looking dismayed. “Why would you ever agree to this?”

“I don’t have a choice. He’ll fail me if I don’t.”

“Then fail. Go to the Headmaster. Report what he’s done. That Homm will be fired. He’ll be arrested.” Barach looked up, his dark eyes angry. “He can’t touch you! You’re an _Ahnnak_ , and he’s just a lowly, filthy Homm.”

“I can’t fail, Barach. If my father finds out what I’ve done, it’s the same as failing. I have to do this. It’ll be the last time I ever have to see him-”

“Don’t be stupid,” growled Barach. “If you agree to this, he’s never going to stop. There will always be something he can hold over you to make you do what he wants.”

“It doesn’t matter, Barach. I have to do it, but I can’t stand the thought of him being the first to touch me like that. If you won’t help me, I’ll ask Erem. He won’t refuse.”

“No. No way, Gabriel. You are not dragging Erem into this.”

“Then you do it.”

“That is not something friends ask of each other.”

“So you’re refusing to help me?”

“Not like this, Gabriel. I won’t help you like this.” 

“Please, Barach,” Gabriel begged. “If it was you-”

“No.” Barach released him and took a step back. “This isn’t going to happen.” 

Gabriel’s heart sank. He felt tears come to his eyes, but he quickly swiped them away. He hardened his gaze and straightened his shoulders. “If you won’t help me, I’ll find someone who will.” 

“Gabriel-”

“Just forget it, Barach.” He turned sharply and marched out of the locker room. Barach didn’t come after him. 

Outside the enclave, Gabriel jumped over the banister and flung himself into the gap. He flew up to the stone arch connecting the two sides of the academy. There were a couple other groups up there, talking and eating dinner, but he avoided them. It was nearly sunset, and the air was growing warmer with the approach of spring, but the night would get cold fast. The others wouldn’t stay long. 

He sat on the edge, staring out into the valley below Archridge, trying to figure out what he would do. Barach wouldn’t help him. Erem might, but Gabriel knew what it would mean to the blue-skinned boy. Barach was right. He couldn’t involve him. Gabriel doubted Erem would understand any better than Barach had anyway. 

Who else could he ask? Vivi? 

Gabriel dismissed the idea quickly. Vivi and Gabriel had discussed going further in their activities before, but since neither of them had done it, they decided to wait. Gabriel was content to keep the boy pleased with his mouth, and also to avoid any additional attachment Vivi might develop for him. It was nearly the end of the year, after all. He wouldn’t need him much longer. 

Gabriel lay down on the cold stone and closed his eyes. How had everything gotten so messed up? 

The sun set, and the other people on the arch left shortly after. Gabriel stayed until keeping himself warm on the stone became difficult. He was having trouble focusing his energy, and the rock seemed to leech any heat right out of him. 

When he rolled off the arch, his wings were almost too cold to operate, and he had a startled second where he just dropped. He caught himself on the air, but the thought occurred to him that that would have been one way to end it. Broken and twisted on the ground far below… 

He considered it for quite a while. But he couldn’t. If it didn’t kill him, the time it took to recover would make him miss class. It could ruin all his grades. Plus, he couldn’t leave Alex alone like that.

With a resigned sigh, Gabriel flew back to the advanced curriculum dorms. He did have one more option.

***

Gabriel pounded on the wooden door, then stepped back. He raised his chin, keeping his expression blank. His wings wouldn’t lay flat against his back, but that was the only part of his posture that exposed his apprehension.

The door opened. Lorcas glared down at him suspiciously. “What do you want?” he asked with a sneer.

Gabriel’s ice-blue eyes locked on Lorcas’ grey eyes. “Fuck me,” he said, his voice cold and hard.

Lorcas tilted his head, looking Gabriel up and down. Gabriel straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin a little more. His expression remained serious. After a moment of contemplation, Lorcas said, “I’m not going to be gentle with you.”

“Fine,” said Gabriel, keeping the waver out of his voice.

Stepping back, Lorcas opened the door wider. “Well, come in.”

Gabriel had to force himself to take that first step. Shoulders back, he walked boldly into the Huntsman’s private room, only briefly glancing at all the accolades on the walls. There were several stacks of books on the shelves that looked like they’d only been opened once. 

The door shut and locked behind him. Gabriel flinched. He turned, but Lorcasiel was already there. The Huntsman’s hand closed around his throat. Gabriel grabbed his arm, but he didn’t try to push him away. 

“I don’t know what you were thinking coming to me like this,” said Lorcas. “We’re enemies. You should know better than to be alone with me, after everything you’ve done.” 

Slowly, Gabriel forced himself to release his hold on Lorcas’ arm. He lowered his hands to his sides, only wincing when the Huntsman’s grip tightened. 

“This is your last chance to walk out of here,” said Lorcas. 

Gabriel met his gaze, hiding all the uncertainty and doubt he felt. “Shut up and fuck me, you bastard,” he said.

Lorcasiel’s lip curled back into a snarl. “I’m going to enjoy making you cry.” 

The Huntsman forced Gabriel toward his bed faster than Gabriel could back up. He stumbled, and Lorcas shoved him down onto the mattress. Before Gabriel could adjust, the Huntsman grabbed a fistful of his silver hair at the back of his head, and pinned him face down on the bed.

Gabriel tried to remind himself that he had asked for this, that it was better this way. But as Lorcas lifted his hips and began to tug down his pants, Gabriel panicked. He started to struggle. “W-Wait…”

“I gave you a chance, baby,” the Huntsman growled, shoving Gabriel’s pants down to reveal his bare, upturned butt. He knelt on the bed, forcing Gabriel to spread his legs. He swatted his ass once, leaving a bright red hand print on the boy's pale skin. 

Gabriel jerked forward, but Lorcasiel’s hold on his hair kept him from going far. The Huntsman let him squirm for a moment, wings beating futilely at the air, then grabbed Gabriel’s hip and pulled him back. Bare skin met bare skin, revealing that the Terran had opened his own pants. The hard length he rubbed against Gabriel’s crease showed him ready to do what Gabriel had asked.

Before Gabriel could give voice to his sudden doubts, Lorcas grabbed his erection, lined it up with Gabriel’s unused hole, and pressed in. Pain lanced up Gabriel’s spine at the abrupt and unyielding intrusion. _It hurt. Fuck, it hurt._ His fists gripped Lorcasiel’s bedspread, and he tried to withstand it, but he couldn’t. He cried out in pain, but Lorcas didn’t stop. 

Once he was partially inside Gabriel, with little chance of slipping out, Lorcas let go of Gabriel’s hair and put both hands on his hips. He began roughly using him, pulling Gabriel back to meet his thrusts, forcing himself deeper inside the younger boy. There was no escaping that pain. 

Lorcas continued until Gabriel cried. He continued well after the silver-haired boy stopped struggling, becoming compliant beneath the relentless pounding. When Gabriel felt Lorcas swell inside him and the hot gush of seed filled his belly, he could only whimper. 

The Huntsman didn’t remove himself from Gabriel’s body after he came. Instead, he adjusted them both together, rolling onto their sides and pinning Gabriel’s wings between their bodies. He wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s chest and his hand curled around Gabriel’s throat, holding him immobile. Another throb of his still hard cock in Gabriel’s ass made the younger boy wince.

“You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to do that to you,” Lorcas murmured, his lips grazing the edge of Gabriel’s ear. “Fiends, the way you whimper and cry… You would think this was your first time being taken like this.”

Gabriel could only sniffled, struggling to keep back his tears. _How could anyone stand this? It hurt so much._

Lorcas partially sat up, leaning over to peer at Gabriel’s face. He grabbed Gabriel’s chin, forcing him to look up at him. Gabriel kept his blue eyes averted, staring at the far wall. 

“Is it?” Lorcas asked. When Gabriel didn’t answer, the Huntsman slapped him. “Was this your first time?”

Gabriel glared up at Lorcas, his breath coming in hiccuping gasps. He looked away again before he could cry more.

“Shit. You stupid little brat… Why?” He lay back down, curling his body around Gabriel’s. Lorcas exhaled heavily, pressing his face into Gabriel’s silver hair. His hand rested lightly on Gabriel’s throat, but he stayed hard inside him.

For a moment, Gabriel didn’t say anything, but being used like that had fractured the barriers he tried to hold together inside of him. “Tassin wants to fuck me,” he whispered. “If I don’t let him, he’ll fail me, b-but I couldn’t stand the thought of him being my first…”

“Oh, baby,” Lorcas groaned, sounding sorrowful. “You shouldn’t have come to me.”

“I didn’t have anyone else.” 

Lorcas pressed his forehead to the back of Gabriel’s head. They lay there together for a few moments before Lorcas asked, “When do you go to him?”

“This weekend. Tomorrow night or the night after… You’re not going to try to talk me out of it?”

“I know what it’s like to trade part of yourself to succeed. Whatever your reasons, they’re your own.” Lorcas’ hips shifted, moving inside the slick channel of Gabriel’s body. “All I can do is help you prepare. I’m going to fuck you again, alight? This time I’ll be gentle.” 

“Please don’t. It hurts too much,” Gabriel begged.

“Relax. Press back and open yourself up. Don’t try to squeeze, it’ll only hurt more.” Gabriel did as Lorcas instructed while the Huntsman slowly began thrusting inside him. His body had adjusted to the intrusion already, so he easily opened and accepted the length. It didn’t hurt nearly as much if he didn’t fight it.

“Good boy. Just like that. That’s not so bad, is it?” Lorcas murmured, nuzzling at the back of Gabriel’s neck. One hand remained at Gabriel’s throat, holding their bodies together, but the other slid down, finding Gabriel’s soft member and gently manipulating it. His touch quickly brought blood to the area. “If you focus on the pleasure, the pain fades away.”

Gabriel was ashamed that he was getting hard while being used like this, but the Huntsman didn’t relent until his shaft was stiff and throbbing. Gabriel’s breathing came faster as Lorcas continued to stroke him. The feelings of discomfort mingled with the pleasure, gradually dissolving into a fullness that was impossible to ignore, but not terrible.

When Lorcas’ thumb firmly slid across the tip of his erection, Gabriel moaned.

“Fiends,” muttered Lorcas. “I almost think I like the sound of you moaning more than you crying…”

Gabriel didn’t say anything, but he didn’t try to hold back his gasps and moans of pleasure, either. He arced his back, thrusting into Lorcas’ hand, even if that meant he was then pushing back onto his rigid shaft after. Lorcas groaned appreciatively, touching his lips to the crook of Gabriel’s neck. He opened his mouth and lightly pressed his teeth into his skin. His breath came in hot pants, increasing in speed as Gabriel pushed them both toward orgasm. 

When Lorcas bit down, the sharp sensation shot through Gabriel, triggering one of the most intense orgasms he could remember. White fluid splattered onto the blanket. His pulsing body clenched around Lorcas’ shaft, and the Huntsman groaned. Another hot load of semen spilled into Gabriel’s body, making him feel more full than he thought he could bear. 

Lorcas held him immobile through the last of his body’s spasms. The Huntsman slowly relaxed, kissing the bite mark he’d left on Gabriel’s shoulder. His fingers gently stroked Gabriel’s throat. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“I hated it,” said Gabriel.

Lorcas chuckled, kissing the back of Gabriel’s neck again. “There’s my grumpy baby boy. I’ll help you get cleaned up.” He started to move away, but Gabriel grabbed his arms. 

“Wait. C-Can we just lay here for a moment? Like this?”

“I can’t stay hard again. You’re going to make a mess when I slip out.” 

“Please?”

Lorcas relaxed, squeezing Gabriel to him. “Sure, baby. Whatever you want.”

Physically and emotionally drained, it wasn’t long before Gabriel passed out in Lorcas’ arms. The Huntsman held him the whole time he slept.

***

Gabriel woke when the sticky mess that seeped out of him turned cold. He groaned, pressing his hands to his face. Lorcas chuckled. “Let’s go shower,” the Huntsman suggested. There was no way he could go anywhere smelling like this, so Gabriel didn’t argue. 

It was hard walking. Lorcas didn’t make a big deal out of helping him, so Gabriel didn’t complain, even when the Huntsman began helping him in the hot shower. Gabriel stood in the steady stream, letting Lorcas’ strong, gentle hands massage soap onto his whole body. He winced a little at the sting of soap against his sensitive hole, but Lorcas quickly rinsed it away. 

The Huntsman’s mouth found Gabriel’s in the shower, the kiss tasting of the water that dripped down their faces. Gabriel closed his eyes, meeting the invading tongue with his own, not in defiance, but as a challenge. Lorcas’ hands slid into Gabriel’s wet silver hair, holding him still as he kissed him passionately. When Lorcas finally released him, Gabriel’s lips felt swollen and as hot as the water pouring over them. He was breathing hard in the steam when Lorcas shut the tap off.

“Come on,” said the Huntsman. “I want to show you how to prepare yourself.” He wrapped Gabriel in a soft towel and led him back out to the bed. 

“Prepare myself?” 

“You said Tassin, right?” asked Lorcas. Gabriel nodded. “I’ve heard rumors of that guy. It’s been a few years, but I don’t think you’re the first he’s done this to.”

“I didn’t think I was,” Gabriel muttered, pulling the towel tight around his body. He watched as Lorcas took another blanket and laid it across the bed, over the damp, messy spots already there. Gabriel tried not to stare at the Huntsman’s naked body as he moved around the room. It was weird to think about being alone with him like this.

“The man isn’t going to be gentle with you, but that doesn’t mean you have to let him hurt you,” said Lorcas when he finished setting up the bed. He went over to a small dresser by his bed and opened a drawer. He pulled out a jar and tossed it to Gabriel. The towel slipped a little, but Gabriel managed to catch it. 

“What is it?” he asked.

“That is what Sera uses when we’re together,” said the Huntsman. He sat on the bed, opening his wings behind him and fanning them slightly to dry his skin and hair. 

“What am I supposed to do with it?” Gabriel opened the lid and sniffed the thick balm within. It smelled a little of mint. It was a familiar smell, and Gabriel realized he had smelled it before on Sera.

“You put it inside you,” stated Lorcas. 

Gabriel felt his cheeks redden. “I can’t do that.”

“You know what Tassin is going to do to you,” Lorcas said bluntly. “He’ll want to hurt you, even more than I did.”

“I doubt that,” Gabriel grumbled. He tossed the jar back. The Huntsman caught it and placed it on the bed beside him. “Speaking of Sera… won’t she be here soon?”

“Nah.” Lorcas leaned back on the bed. “She’s still mad at me after what happened last weekend.”

“What happened?” Despite himself, Gabriel found his eyes wandering over the Huntsman’s lounging, sculpted body. He was nearly as muscular as Barach.

“Damabiath sent a couple local girls to my room after we won the game. Sera wasn’t there to turn them away, so I had sex with them.”

Gabriel scoffed. “Just like that?”

“Do you blatantly reject the offerings of your Isten?”

“My Isten doesn’t offer anything but pain and misery.” 

Lorcas raised one shoulder in a non-committal shrug. “Well, I’ve learned there are some battles I can’t win. When Sera isn’t there to chase the girls away, acting as my night’s conquest, I cannot deny him.” The Terran sighed heavily. “Plus, there are times after a Hunt, where even though I’ve showered and scrubbed, I can still feel the blood on my hands. It’s easier to not be alone then. Sera understands, even though I know it hurts her.”

Gabriel moved a little closer to the bed. “You really care about her.”

Lorcas’ grey eyes shifted up to Gabriel’s face. “More than anything. I want to spend my life with her, but my life isn’t my own.”

“Is she going to be mad that I was here?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” admitted Lorcas. “When she finds out why you came to me-”

“You can’t tell her,” Gabriel said quickly. “You can’t tell anyone about him.”

Once side of Lorcas’ mouth curled back into a smile. “Ah, my little Prince, so full of secrets and lies, you can’t even tell who your friends are.”

Gabriel’s wings bristled at the hated nickname. “You are not my friend, Lorcas,” he snapped.

“No, I’m not,” said the Huntsman. He grabbed Gabriel’s towel, pulling him closer to the bed. “I hate you so much, sometimes I lie awake at night, thinking of a thousand horrible things I can do to you and your pretty face.” He slipped the towel from Gabriel’s hands, letting it drop to the floor. “I’ve only ever dreamed of the possibility of having you before me like this.” His hands touched Gabriel’s sides, sliding down over his hips. 

Gabriel saw the Huntsman’s cock twitch, growing harder. He gulped, feeling a rush of blood to his own member as well. He tried to ignore it. Maybe it would go away if he ignored it.

But Lorcas didn’t ignore the growing length before him at all. His fingers curled around Gabriel, slowly stroking him to his full hardness. He smirked and said, “I’m going to teach you how to prepare yourself, baby, and then I’m watch you fuck yourself on my cock. And you’re going to obey every little thing I say, because if you don’t, I’m going to bend you over and spank your ass until you cry, then I’m going to fuck you anyway.”

“Go to hell,” Gabriel whispered, but his wings gave an excited flutter against his back. His cock throbbed in the Huntsman’s hand. 

Lorcas grinned and pulled away. He moved further onto the bed, patting the spot before him. Gabriel climbed up and knelt. Picking up the jar again, Lorcas held it out to Gabriel. “Open this up. Scoop out a lot.” Gabriel took the container and opened it. He slid his fingers through some of the thick goo, but Lorcas said, “More. Get more than you think you’ll need, and that’ll probably be enough.” 

Gabriel scooped more out, thinking it definitely had to be too much, but Lorcas nodded. “Now, spread your legs and reach back. Push it into your ass, and try to work at least two fingers inside of you.” 

Gabriel’s cheeks burned. “Right now?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t do it with you watching.”

The Huntsman scowled. “How am I supposed to know if you do it right if I don’t watch?” 

It was embarrassing. Gabriel adjusted a bit so he was turned to the side. At the least, he wouldn’t face Lorcas. He spread his legs and reached back, touching the slick balm to his sore hole. It felt cool, almost soothing. Gabriel closed his eyes, his brow furrowed as he pressed one finger inside. The ring of muscle was tight, even around a single finger. He couldn’t understand how he had fit Lorcas’ full width inside him.

“Press another finger in, baby,” instructed Lorcas. “Your body is designed to stretch, but it takes a little time to learn how to relax. Ease back, and push in.” 

Gabriel tried, but he was afraid it was going to hurt again. “I can’t.”

The Huntsman reached back, abruptly shoving two fingers in alongside the one finger Gabriel already had pushed in. Gabriel winced and jerked forward, but Lorcas pressed his other hand to Gabriel’s thigh, lowering him back down. “That’s three,” he said firmly, holding Gabriel’s hand and preventing him from pulling his finger out. “If you can take this, you can take two of your own fingers. Don’t tell me you can’t.”

“You fucking bast-” 

Lorcas twisted and spread his fingers, cutting off Gabriel’s words with a gasp. “I am helping you. That’s no way to talk to someone helping you. You do it again, and I’m going to beat your ass, got it, baby?”

Gabriel glared at Lorcas. “Yeah, I got it,” he growled. The Huntsman’s fingers slipped from his body. 

Taking a deep breath, Gabriel resumed prodding at his hole on his own. It was easier this time. The ring of muscle opened, allowing him to sink two fingers inside, working the balm in deeper. It tingled slightly, but it did help.

“There you go,” Lorcas said approvingly. “If you can spend a little time stretching your ass like this before you go, it’ll make penetration easier. Don’t rely on someone else to take care of you.”

Gabriel bit his lip as he pushed a third finger in. It hurt a little, but he could to it. It was amazing to feel his body stretch like that. He could feel his pulse throb in the tight ring of muscle that wrapped around him. Breathing hard, he asked, “Can I bring the balm to my room?”

“Yeah, Sera makes this herself. You can take it with you.” Lorcas put the lid back on the jar and sat it on his bedside table. “She’ll bring over more when she starts talking to me again.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel said softly. “It makes it easier.”

Nodding, Lorcas reached over and touched Gabriel’s hand, pushing his fingers deeper into his body. “Like this.” He guided him in and out a few times, making the silver-haired boy moan with every thrust. 

When Lorcas pulled his hand away, Gabriel faltered a second, and then continued the motion. “Very nice,” the Huntsman murmured, adjusting so he lay on the bed beside Gabriel and could continue watching. His solid erection lay on his stomach, nearly reaching his navel. It twitched every once in a while as he watched Gabriel stretch himself. “Do you think you’re ready?”

“No,” Gabriel said, but he could slide his fingers in and out of his body with little resistance. He understood what Lorcas meant about pushing back now. 

“If you want more control of your situation, have your partner lay down on the bed,” said Lorcas. He folded his arms behind his head. “Most men enjoy being ridden and watching from this angle, but it’ll also allow you to control how fast you let the cock enter you. You’ll just have to convince him he wants it.”

Gabriel nodded. That made sense. He let his slick fingers slide out of his body, then wiped his hand on his thigh. He would absolutely need another shower. “What should I say?”

“‘Please’ is usually enough,” said Lorcas. “Like I said, it’s something most men enjoy watching.” 

Gabriel thought for a moment. He licked his lips and turned to Lorcas. “Like… ‘Please, sir, I want you to watch me while I fuck myself on your cock?’”

Lorcas erection jerked. “ _Fuck_ ,” the Terran groaned. “Is that how you talk to him? No wonder he wants your ass.”

Gabriel’s face reddened. “Shut up.” 

Lorcas swatted his butt. “That was a warning.”

Gabriel glared, but he didn’t argue. “What next?”

“Mount up, baby. Facing me, knees on each side of my waist. Position yourself so that you could be fully seated on my hips.” 

“Now?” 

“Yes, baby, now.” 

Gabriel moved toward him, feeling uncertain. He put a hand on the Huntsman’s chest while he balanced and figured out where he would need to be. He sat a couple times, adjusting, able to feel the hard length beneath him each time. 

“Like this?” Gabriel asked.

“Yeah, but try not to look so clinical about it. You’re not bonding elements, you sitting on a cock. It’s natural.”

“There’s nothing natural about it,” Gabriel stated, adjusting forward a little more.

Lorcas snorted. “Connecting with another person is the most natural thing there is. The parts don’t matter, so much as the soul.” He reached up and touched Gabriel’s chest, tapping twice over his heart. “Tassin has a black soul. You don’t want to connect with him, so just focus on the parts.”

Gabriel nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Lorcas lowered his hand to his side. “When you’re ready, reach back, grab the base of my cock, and angle it up toward your ass. You want to hold it there while you press down, until you’ve got a least the head inside you. This will be how far you can raise up without risking it falling out. Everyone is different, so it’ll take a bit of practice to learn your range, but it’ll save you from having to start over, or from your partner getting frustrated and changing positions.”

Rising up far enough, Gabriel touched Lorcas’ thick erection, surprised by how much heavier it felt than Vivi’s. Lorcas was both thicker and longer than the shy Terran boy, but the skin stretched around his shaft was just as silky smooth. 

Trying not to think too hard on what he was doing, Gabriel followed Lorcas’ instruction. He closed his eyes, focused on feeling his way into position. He lowered himself a couple times before he had the angle right, then pressed down, readying himself for the pain. 

There was some discomfort, but nowhere near as bad as it felt before. Gabriel exhaled slowly, relieved. He wiggled a bit, slowly working more of the Huntsman’s shaft into his body. He was careful, only taking a little more in with each move. He was about halfway down Lorcas’ erection, when the older boy’s hips lifted slightly, rising up to meet him.

Gabriel gasped, putting his hand to Lorcas’ chest and leaning forward, nearly letting the Huntsmen slide out. “Ah, wait! I need to go slower.”

“I can only watch you wiggle like that for so long before I’m going to run out of patience,” said the Huntsman, his grey eyes sharp.

“Sorry. I’m trying,” Gabriel whined.

“Then you better be more entertaining, baby, cause right now, all I can think of is getting buried in your tight ass. I am about to lose control.” He gave another short thrust up to accentuate his point.

Gabriel whimpered and bit his lip. He glared down at the Huntsman, unable to do anything about the tears coming to his eyes. It wasn’t even about the pain. It was just humiliating. Lorcas gazed up at him without sympathy, but Gabriel definitely recognized lust in his grey eyes.

“I hate you,” Gabriel told him.

“Yeah, baby, I hate you, too,” murmured Lorcas, his voice soft. His hands lowered, stroking Gabriel’s thighs and curling around his hips. He pushed down suddenly as he thrust up, embedding the rest of his length into Gabriel with a single move. 

The silver-haired boy cried out, but he was unable to move off the core of heat that filled him. He body stretched tight around the base of Lorcas, and he was fully seated on the older boy’s lap. He pressed his hands against Lorcas’ firm stomach, trying to lean forward and alleviate some of the pressure. 

“It’s too much,” he cried desperately.

“You had plenty of time to adjust, baby. Just sit on it and breath. It won’t kill you.”

“I wish it would,” he complained.

“Hush. You’re being dramatic. If you’re going to cry anyway, there’s no reason to be gentle.”

“This is gentle?” complained Gabriel. He winced when Lorcas pushed up a little more.

“As gentle as you’ll get from me. If you want to stay in control, you have to act like you enjoy it, even if it hurts, and you have to make him enjoy it even more.”

“He’s not going to be as strong as you. He won’t be able to do this to me.” Gabriel tried to breath and adjust his hips, but Lorcas had him pinned. He was stuck.

“If it was just about strength, you wouldn’t be in this situation with a Homm at all, would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t…” Gabriel agreed sullenly. He sniffled once, and Lorcas’ grip eased, allowing him just the tiniest amount of freedom to adjust. Within the short ranged allowed, he was able to roll his hips, rocking back and forth on the pillar inside him. He was breathing hard, but it got easier.

“Don’t be shy about touching yourself. Pleasure will help you cope,” said Lorcas, his voice husky. He let go of Gabriel’s hips, putting his hands behind his head again. “Go on now. Give me a show.”

Gabriel bit off the curse before he could say it. He clenched his jaw, avoiding looking at the Huntsman’s smug face. Without Lorcas holding him down, he was able to slide up the full length, feeling a strange rush of dizziness as it pulled out of him. He stopped, just before the tip popped out, then sank back down. The smooth slide was unexpected, and he found himself seated fully again with very little effort. He moaned, his eyes fluttering shut. That actually didn’t feel bad at all, just different. 

He did it again, and this time, he took his own erection into his hand. He stroked himself quickly, focused more on that than the speed he raised and lowered his hips. He moaned and tilted his head back. _Oh, fiends_ , having that pressure inside him, filling him, made his orgasm quickly approach. He came hard, spilling his seed across Lorcas’ chest and stomach.

For a moment, Gabriel sat there, lost in the aftershocks. The rhythmic clenching of his ass reminded him of where he sat, and he felt a rush of embarrassment overtake him again. He looked down at the mess he’d made, and then at Lorcas’ amused eyes. 

“Have fun?” the Terran asked.

“Fuck you,” Gabriel snapped without thinking. He started to rise off Lorcas, but the Huntsman grabbed him, shoving him back down. Without the haze of arousal to cloud his mind, being speared so roughly made him wince. 

“That’s the idea, baby.” Lorcas sat up, holding Gabriel in place while he adjusted. “I thought you knew better than to come first. Now you have nothing to distract your tight, sensitive body from what I’m going to do next.” Lorcas took hold of Gabriel’s hips and began moving him up and down, bouncing Gabriel on his lap at a relentless pace. 

It was too much. Gabriel’s body was too sore. He whimpered and cried out, placing his hands on Lorcas’ shoulders. The Huntsman didn’t stop, but he leaned forward, capturing Gabriel’s mouth with his own. He kissed him, tugging on Gabriel’s lower lip with his teeth, allowing the boy to focus on something else other than the invasive pounding his ass was taking. Gabriel kissed him hard and desperately, hating Lorcas so much, but knowing, in a way, that he deserved this. 

With some surprise, Gabriel discovered he was hard again. He dropped one hand between their bodies, letting Lorcas’ motions thrust him up into his hand. Gabriel could feel his impending release approach. 

When Lorcas fully impaled Gabriel, holding him down hard, the Huntsman’s erection throbbed and released a gush of fluid deep within the younger boy. The intense way Lorcas stretched and filled him was enough. Gabriel came hard, the prolonged waves of pleasure washing over him as the fluid spilled over his hand.

Lorcas moaned into the kiss as Gabriel’s clenching body tightened around him. He pulled back enough that he could look into his blue eyes. “Fiends, it’s like you’re squeezing me dry.”

“Shut up,” Gabriel muttered, and kissed him again. Lorcas chuckled, grinning into the kiss, before returning it enthusiastically.

After they both descended from their post-orgasmic high, Lorcas taught Gabriel how to clean up. It was a mess. The towels on the bed helped, but Gabriel didn’t like the feeling of the thick fluid oozing out of him.

When they were as clean as they could be without another shower, Lorcas stood in front of Gabriel and wrapped his arms around his shoulders and wings. The Huntsman tilted to the side, tumbling with the younger boy into bed. 

Gabriel started to struggle. “You jerk-”

“Stay,” Lorcas told him, placing a soft kiss on Gabriel’s forehead. “It’s late. You’ll get in trouble if anyone sees you in the halls.”

Gabriel relaxed a little in his arms. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Besides, you could still use a little more practice. If you stay until morning, I might be able to find the time to help you.”

“Bastard,” Gabriel grumbled, but he curled against Lorcas’ warm chest. 

They lay silently in each other’s arms. Their breathing slowed, Gabriel matching his to the steady breaths of Huntsman wrapped around him.

“Why are you helping me?” Gabriel asked softly.

Lorcas’ voice was sleepy when he answered. “The closest thing to immortality I have is that you will remember my name. The stars will turn to dust, but you will always remember me.” He opened his grey eyes, meeting Gabriel’s ice blue gaze. “Plus, I like watching you squirm.”

Gabriel laughed and pressed his face back against Lorcas’ chest. “I hate you.”

“I hate you, too, baby,” the Huntsman said, and he held Gabriel protectively to him as they both fell asleep.


	119. Barachiel: 6th Degree of Wind, 595 DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barach goes looking for Gabriel.
> 
> (CW: Violence)

Barach stood outside the wooden door, head bowed, thinking an oath to his Isten.

_Please don’t let him be here._

He knocked, hoping the rooms in this section of the academy were far enough apart that the sound wouldn’t travel through the stone halls. It would be better if no one saw him.

It was late, well after curfew. Even the delinquent students who snuck out to Marut, or down to the lowest level of the academy, had returned to their rooms. The halls of Archridge were completely silent, save for the constant thundering of the waterfall. It was closer here, much louder than the common student dorms below, and Barach dreaded finding Gabriel here.

He had searched for Gabriel all evening. No one had seen him after class ended. Not Erem. Not Sera, or any of the other girls. Not even Vidiel, the shy Terran boy Gabriel flirted with. Barach had woken Vidiel up after curfew, and was prepared to pick a fight with the Terran if Gabriel had gone to him, but the brown-haired boy had just been startled and confused. Barach left without telling him why he came. He couldn’t tell anyone, but he had to stop Gabriel.

Barach even checked the lowest level, sloughing through the press of bodies and funk of teenage sex to search for his friend. 

Nothing. 

He flew up to Gabriel’s room and waited outside his door for hours. There was no sign of him anywhere. 

Barach just refused to believe Gabriel had actually come here, but he couldn’t think of anywhere else he could be.

Knocking again, Barach heard a gruff, irritated voice on the other side of the door. His wings spread slightly, but he held his face calm. A wooden lock slid, and the door opened.

A bleary-eyed, middle age Homm stood before Barach. Grey peppered his temples and a dark beard covered his jaw. 

“Tassin?” said Barach.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” the angry Homm asked. “What’s your name, Terran?”

“Barachiel,” he answered, his voice dark. “And I’m an Ahnnak.” 

Some part of Barach’s intent must have slipped through his calm veneer, because the Homm’s eyes widened. Tassin tried to back up, but Barach rushed him, placing his hand over the Homm’s mouth and nose. Barach ignored the man’s panicked struggling, his weak punches glancing off him ineffectually. 

Barach looked around the room, but there was no sign Gabriel had been there. 

_Thank the Isten._

Glaring down at the pathetic Homm, Barach said, “We’re going to go somewhere to talk. Understand?”

The man’s eyes were losing focus due to lack of air, but he nodded. Barach really just wanted to crush his skull, right here and right now. His muscles shook with the effort to restrain himself. _It would be so easy._

He lifted his last two fingers off the Homm’s nose, allowing the man to suck in a desperate breath. His hand stayed pressed to his mouth, muffling the attempts Tassin made to speak to him. Barach didn’t need to hear anything he had to say.

They left the room, any resistance the Homm put up easy to ignore. There were too many instructors and staff nearby, though they were probably all sleeping. Barach needed Tassin somewhere secluded, where no one could hear him if he screamed for help.

The walkways around the edge of the fissure ran behind the waterfall on each level. The stone tunnel was damp and dark, but no one would come through there at this time of night. Any noise Tassin might make would be lost in the roar of the water as it plunged to the dark pool below. 

Barach shoved the Homm into the darkness, watching him stumble and reach out as his weak eyes struggled to adjust. Tassin touched the wet stone wall. His eyes blankly stared toward Barach, but was looking past him, unable to make out the shape of him in the dark. 

“I will have you expelled for this, Ahnnak! I don’t care who you think you are, you will be ejected from this academy in shame! Dishonor on you and your Isten!” His voice was loud, but he was scared. The stench of his fear was nearly overpowering.

“I am Barachiel, son of the Isten Pahaliah.” As he spoke, Tassin’s eyes shifted, finding him in the dark. “Do you think she will care that some insignificant, pathetic Homm complained about me?” 

“The Headmaster-”

Barach moved fast, slamming Tassin’s flat back against the wet stone wall. “No one will help you, Homm.” He placed his hand on Tassin’s throat, tightening his grip until he heard the Homm gasp. “You’ve hurt one of my friends.”

“I’ve never hurt anyone,” the man choked out.

“You are not a good liar.” He tightened his grip again, feeling the man’s panicked heartbeat against his palm. Barach held him like that until he felt the pulse start to slow, and the Homm’s feeble attempts to fight him fell slack.

Barach released the pressure, and the Homm raggedly drew in a deep breath, coughing.

“Let me go. I didn’t do anything!” the man cried.

“You’re lying again.” 

As Barach began to tighten his grip, Tassin quickly exclaimed, “Wait! Wait! Who’s your friend? I’m sure this has just been a misunderstanding!”

Barach tilted his head, his dark eyes glinting with a flash of red as they reflected the sparse light in the stone hall. “Ahnnak Gabriel, heir to the Isten Jequn.”

Tassin swallowed hard, the fluttering of his heart beating faster. “I-I never did anything he didn’t ask me to do. He begged. He wanted it!” 

A low growl rumbled from Barach’s throat. “How long have you been blackmailing him?”

“I haven’t-” 

His words choked off as Barach dragged him over to the edge of the walkway, where the spray of the waterfall made the stone wet and slimy. He pushed Tassin’s flat back against the railing, forcing him to bend backward out over the edge, where the cold spray of the water hit his face.

Tassin clung to Barach’s arm. His feet weren’t touching the walkway. “Wait! Don’t!” he pleaded.

“How long?!” Barach demanded. 

“Last year! He started coming to me last year so I would fix his grades! I was just doing what he wanted.” Tassin kept trying to turn his face away from the cold splatters of water. His hair was already drenched.

“You’re forcing him to have sex with you.”

“I haven’t! I’d never force him! Gabe wants it!”

_Gabe_.

Barach felt a cold flash of rage shoot through him. “How dare you speak of an Ahnnak so informally,” he said through clenched teeth. “You’re nothing but Homm filth.” He relaxed his grip slightly.

The Homm clung to him tighter. “No! Please! I’m sorry! I’ll do anything!”

The options before Barach were simple. Feeling detached, he coldly said, “I won’t allow you to hurt him ever again.” 

“I promise!” the Homm cried.

For a second, Barach held him, but the choice was easy. He opened his hand. The Homm’s wet fingers clung to his arm briefly before slipping off. Tassin dropped, toppling over the edge with no wings to catch him.

The scream that chased him down faded into the roar of the waterfall before the Homm hit the ground. Barach leaned over the wet railing. The Homm’s body had landed at the edge of the dark pool, face down in the water. Dark blood spread beneath his twisted limbs, the splashing of the water already rinsing it away. 

Tassin was definitely dead.

Barach stepped back, staying in the dark shadows as he silently walked away from the waterfall. There was a calm within him, much like he felt during a Hunt. The blood spilled on the ground was his fault, but it meant nothing to him. 

Just another dead fiend disposed of.

He returned to his room and stripped, slipping into bed with Erem. His boyfriend woke at his touch. 

“Brr! You’re cold and wet,” Erem complained. “Where have you been?”

“I was looking for Gabriel.” He pulled Erem close to him, absorbing the little heat his boyfriend could spare.

“Did you find him?” Erem asked, his words fading into a yawn.

“No, but I’m sure he’ll be okay.”

Erem nodded and closed his eyes. “That’s good…” Barach could tell the blue-skinned boy was already falling back asleep. He held him tight, breathing in the scent of his skin.

Wherever Gabriel was, at least Barach knew that Homm would never touch him again.


	120. Gabriel: 7th Degree of Wind, 595 DE

Gabriel walked with Lorcas out of the Advanced Curriculum dorms near lunch, only to find a commotion in the fissure between the two sides of the academy. Students lined the walkways or hovered in the air in the gap, staring toward the pool.

For a moment, Gabriel’s heart stopped. _Alex_ , he thought, panicked. He pushed his way to the edge, leaning over to look down. 

A cloth covered a body beside the water, but it was too big to be Alex. Gabriel sighed with relief, his wings fluttering to release some of his tension. 

The movement of his wings made his lower back ache, but he ignored it. Lorcas had been a little rough with him this morning, but it wasn’t a pain that really bothered him.

He turned back to the Huntsman, who had followed him to the edge. Lorcas gazed down, standing taller than most the people there. 

“We’ll have to eat together another time,” he said somberly. “Iscriel will be looking for me.”

“Make him wait,” said Gabriel, feeling disappointed. He was starving, and it was stupid, but he’d actually been looking forward to eating with the Huntsman. 

“Sorry, baby. I’ve got to go.” Lorcas winked at him. “See you tonight?”

“Doubtful,” Gabriel grumbled, turning away from him sullenly. 

“You know where I’ll be,” Lorcas said and smacked Gabriel’s ass. He walked away with a grin, ignoring Gabriel’s baleful glare.

After Lorcas was gone, Gabriel leaned back over the edge. He watched the academy staff move around, preventing students from getting too close while the guards investigated. 

Some of the students around him were talking, and though he didn’t really care, he couldn’t help but overhear.

“Do you know who it is?”

“They won’t say, but I heard it’s not a student.”

“A teacher? Do you think their feathers got too wet?”

“No, I think I heard it was a Homm instructor. He couldn’t even fly.”

Gabriel’s wings snapped out and his blood ran cold. _What?_ It wasn’t possible. He looked closer at the body below. The cloth made it difficult to identify. 

He went down to the foyer and jumped off the edge, spreading his wings and gliding closer. Academy staff flew up and blocked him off, making him stop and back beat his wings. 

“You can’t come closer,” she said. “Go back to the halls.”

Gabriel leaned to the side, getting a better look until she blocked him off again. He focused on her, trying to appear pitiful. “Please, I have to know. Did my little brother-” He gasped, covering his mouth like he was about to cry. “Is it my little brother? Is he dead?”

She fell for it. “No, it’s not a child,” she said sympathetically. “One of the instructors fell last night. I’m sure Headmaster Iscriel will make an announcement when he knows more. Go on now. Back to the halls.”

“Thank you,” he said, and flew back up until she wasn’t watching him anymore.

Gabriel turned back around, hovering in the air. He searched each level of the academy at the edge of the waterfall. Close to the top, in the staff quarters, a group of people were standing near the edge. Unlike everyone else along the stone banisters, they were talking to each other, not looking down. As Gabriel watched, Lorcas walked up, bowing respectfully to the people gathered. The Headmaster stepped forward, gesturing and speaking to him. Lorcas nodded along, then everyone stepped back and gave him a chance to investigate.

Gabriel would talk to him later, but he already knew what the Huntsman would find. He turned, flying to the tenth year rooms. He spotted Erem before he even landed. The blue-skinned boy stood by the gap, eating an apple and watching the bustle below. Gabriel landed and walked to him.

“Hey, Gabriel. Did you see what happened?” asked Erem.

“Yes.” Gabriel took the partially eaten apple from Erem’s hand and bit off two big chunks. While he chewed, he asked, “Where’s Barach?”

Erem turned, opening his wings over the railing while he leaned back. “Said he wasn’t hungry. He was out late looking for you, and I think he’s just tired. Where were you?”

“Doesn’t matter. If anyone asks, Barach was with you all night.” He took another bite from the apple, then tossed it back to Erem. 

“Sure, but why?” asked the blue-skinned boy after he caught the apple.

“I’ll tell you later, but right now, I need to talk to Barach alone.”

“Did something happen? Is it about-”

“Erem, _later_ ,” Gabriel insisted firmly. Some of his temper slipped through his carefully controlled mask.

“Yeah. Okay, sure.” Erem shrugged and motioned toward the room with the leftover apple. “Barach might be up by now. I don’t know. I’ll stay out here until they move the body, then I’m going down to the dining hall.”

“Thanks. I’ll come find you when I’m done.” Without another word, Gabriel strode down the hall and followed the path that led to Barach and Erem’s room. He didn’t bother knocking. It wasn’t locked. 

Barach stood by the closet. He was finishing tying his pants, and he didn’t look back when Gabriel slammed the door.

“What have you done?!” Gabriel demanded, storming into the room.

“You asked for my help,” said Barach, his voice devoid of any emotion. 

“Not like this!” Gabriel approached angrily, but he suddenly found himself caught by the older Ahnnak, shoved back against the wall. Barach held Gabriel’s wrists in his strong hands, though he had barely even seen him move. His wings gave a shiver a fear, trapped against the stone wall.

Dark eyes locked on Gabriel’s face. Barach raised one of his wrists, pressing the pale skin to his nose and mouth. He inhaled deeply. His eyes closed, and as he exhaled, he murmured, “So that’s where you were…” 

“Let go of me,” grunted Gabriel. He tried to break away from Barach.

“No.” Barach transfered both Gabriel’s wrists into one hand and pinned them to the wall over Gabriel’s head. “You’re not the only one who can get angry, Gabriel, and you’re not going anywhere until you’ve told me everything.” 

“Stop it, Barach. Get off me.” Gabriel struggled against him, but it was no use. _Fiends_ , he forgot how strong Barach was when he wasn’t playing around.

Hoping to catch Barach off guard, Gabriel released an intense jolt of electricity to make the bigger Ahnnak let go. No sooner had the charge left Gabriel than Barach absorbed it. He filtered the shock back into Gabriel’s neck, where his fingertips touched the pale skin at his throat.

Unable to process the returned energy fast enough, Gabriel gasped. His back arched as the current shot back into him. His heart skipped a beat, and when the charge faded, Gabriel was left panting.

“You know better than that,” Barach scolded with a low growl. 

“Sorry,” Gabriel whispered, deciding to listen to the voice in his head that cautioned him of the danger before him. 

Barach’s eyes had that predatory gleam they used to get when he was young, before he started going down to the stables to help with the beasts. Back when the only way to burn off his extra energy had been to bully Gabriel and Erem. 

Gabriel knew that if the older Ahnnak didn’t want to let him go, he wouldn’t, not until he got what he wanted. Most of the time that meant making Gabriel cry. Sometimes it meant a fight. Gabriel wasn’t sure which Barach wanted right now, but he tried to appear passive. 

Once he saw Gabriel wasn’t going to resist anymore, Barach tilted Gabriel’s head, examining the fading bite marks Lorcas had left on his neck last night. Barach’s expression darkened. 

“I asked him to,” said Gabriel. He tried to appear calm. “He helped me when you wouldn’t.”

Barach sneered in disgust. His hand lowered from Gabriel’s neck to his stomach, where he roughly began to untie the knot of Gabriel’s shirt. “How could you agree to trade yourself to that pathetic Homm?” he asked. “How could you go to Lorcas?” He jerked Gabriel’s knot free and let the fabric fall loose around his waist. 

“I didn’t have a choice,” said Gabriel. Anger shot through him, which he had some trouble keeping under control. “I never asked you to interfere.” 

“No,” said Barach, his voice hard. “You just wanted to use me so you weren’t trading your virgin ass to some flat-backed scum for a worthless grade.”

“You wouldn’t understand why I had to do it.” 

“No? Well, I may not understand, but you’re still going to tell me.” Gabriel felt Barach’s hand slip up under the loose fabric of his shirt. The older boy’s fingers splayed across Gabriel’s pale skin, barely touching him. 

The anticipation of what he knew was to come sent a quick flash of panic through Gabriel. He sucked in his stomach, even though Barach hadn’t done anything yet. “I can’t,” he insisted.

“I wasn’t asking.” A low current channeled through Barach’s fingertips, making Gabriel’s muscles convulse everywhere he touched. The silver-haired boy twisted and squirmed, trying to escape his electrified touch. 

Gabriel knew from years of experience that any elements he tried to use against Barach would only make the charge stronger. His muscles spasmed and twitched, but there was nothing he could do to get away. The panic at being unable to escape grew. “No, no, please, Barach, don’t!”

“Tell me why you’re doing this.”

“I had to!”

“Why?!”

“It’s safer if you don’t know.”

“Safer?” asked Barach. “I killed man for you.” A sharp snap of electricity bit into Gabriel’s side, making him jerk away in pain. 

“Nobody asked you to!” Gabriel shouted. He glared at Barach as tears came to his eyes. “I had everything under control!”

“Trading your body for grades isn’t having anything under control,” he retorted angrily.

“It won’t kill me, but it might kill him if I don’t!” snapped Gabriel, frustrated at being so helpless against the older Ahnnak. 

“Who?” When Gabriel didn’t answer right away, Barach dug his fingers into his belly, sending the low current deep into him. He repeated the question.

Gabriel jumped, desperate to get away. “Alex!” he cried. “It’ll hurt Alex!” The current faded from him, leaving Gabriel gasping for air. He glared at Barach through blurry eyes, furious at being manipulated like this. 

“What do you mean?”

“If I don’t have perfect grades, Jequn hurts Alex,” stated Gabriel. “All the accidents Alex had were Jequn’s fault, I just don’t know who’s helping him.”

Barach searched his face like he was looking for the lie in Gabriel’s words. He didn’t find it. “That’s ridiculous. Why would he hurt his own son like that?”

“To punish me for taking Alex from him. Jequn and I made a deal. I agreed to have perfect grades in the advanced classes if Jequn allowed Alex to come to Archridge.” Gabriel strained against Barach’s grip, and this time, the older Ahnnak let him go. Gabriel rubbed his wrists. He could see the ring of bruises forming on his pale skin already.

“Why would you agree to that?” Barach demanded.

“Because it was the only way I could get Alex out of there and away from Jequn. I had to.” He sniffled and angrily wiped the tears away from his eyes. He lowered his gaze to the stone floor. “Jequn raped Alex.”

“What?” Barach stepped back, the single word leaving him breathless.

“He did it for years,” said Gabriel, the words he’d never spoken to anyone rushing out. “When I found out, I had to get Alex away from him, but I couldn’t, because Alex isn’t-” He stopped. His throat felt tight.

“Alex isn’t what?” Barach prodded.

Gabriel swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Alex isn’t Jequn’s real son.” It hurt his chest to say the secret aloud, like he’d been stabbed through the heart.

“No, he’s-” Barach paused, eyes going wide as the truth finally made a thousand little irregularities make sense. “He’s not your brother?”

“We share a mother, but she had an affair.”

“Then you know who his father is?” 

“No, I don’t,” Gabriel lied flawlessly. “They met at some party. She never learned his name.” 

In a daze, Barach walked over and sat on the bed. Gabriel watched him a moment. He was still angry at Barach for a lot of reasons, but he’d been hiding all this for too long. The desire to talk about it with anyone was overwhelming. 

With a sigh, Gabriel walked over and sat beside his stunned friend. He told Barach everything, starting with when he found out about Jequn and Alex, then discovering Liliel’s affair, to the deal he made with Jequn to get Alex out of the manor. The story rushed out of him, and the whole time, Barach sat beside him, listening in silent shock. 

When was done, Barach asked, “This Harvest, when you went back, did he…?”

“No,” said Gabriel. “He beat me because Alex released the beasts he was researching in the stables. I couldn’t let him punish Alex for it, you know? I can’t ever let him touch Alex again. That’s why… before I left… I told Jequn I claimed Alex.”

“You _what_?!”

Gabriel wrapped his arms around his chest. “I just don’t want Jequn to hurt him again. If he understands Alex is mine, not his, maybe I can keep him safe.”

“Gabriel, he’s your brother.”

“I bleed for him. He’s mine. That’s all that matters.” 

“It’s not. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for him, or your grades, or whatever other stupid thing you’re going to try to do.”

“Let me? You don’t let me do anything, Barach. I make my own choices.” 

Gabriel saw Barach move this time, but he still wasn’t able to avoid him. The older Ahnnak flattened him on the bed, holding him down by his throat. Barach leaned in, looking deep into Gabriel’s blue eyes. “I’m going to protect you, Gabriel, even if that means protecting you from yourself. You’re not trading your body for grades anymore.”

“I have to.” He stared up at Barach, feeling a flutter of fear in his chest.

“You don’t,” Barach insisted. He wasn’t being rough with Gabriel, but the threat was there. “You can study. You’re not stupid. Even if you mess up, Alex will be safe at the academy.”

“I can’t risk it, Barach.”

“I’m not giving you a choice.” 

“If he gets hurt again, it’ll be your fault,” said Gabriel, barely keeping the tremble out of his voice. 

“If he gets hurt again, you can blame me all you want, but Alex will be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.” Barach released Gabriel. 

The silver-haired boy cautiously sat back up, keeping an eye on his friend the whole time. “You should be worried about yourself,” he said. “They’re going to figure out what you did to Tassin.”

“Let them come,” Barach said boldly. “He deserved to die.” Despite Barach’s intensity, there was an edge of doubt to his words. He was nervous.

“We should talk to Erem,” said Gabriel after a few heartbeats of silence. “We can tell him everything.”

Barach nodded. “He deserves to know.”

Gabriel agreed. He stood up, retying his shirt around his waist. “I’ll go get him. We’ll talk to him together.” He left the room, finding Erem still by the railing watching the investigation below. He didn’t want to leave, but when he saw Gabriel’s face, he quickly changed his mind and followed.

Barach and Gabriel spent the rest of the afternoon telling Erem everything. When they were done, the blue-skinned boy was shocked, but he quickly shifted to acceptance. 

“I’ll always be on your side,” he told them both. “No matter what. Just, no more secrets, okay?” 

Gabriel and Barach both agreed, though Gabriel didn’t know if either one of them would keep that promise. 

***

Late that night, after leaving Barach and Erem, Gabriel returned to Lorcas’ room. The Huntsman greeted him with a smirk. “I knew you couldn’t stay away.”

“Shut up,” Gabriel grumbled, shoving past him into the room. “I need to talk to you about something-”

“It’s fine,” said Lorcas. He closed the door and locked it. “I already took care of it.”

“The instructor-”

Lorcas touched Gabriel’s chin. “I told you, I already took care of it.” He rubbed his thumb over Gabriel’s soft lips. “Come on, baby, show me if that mouth can do anything besides piss me off.”

“Fuck you, Lorcas,” Gabriel snapped. “I’m not-”

The Huntsman kissed him hard, muffling his protests. Gabriel’s half-hearted attempts to push him away were ignored. Lorcas held his jaw, his kiss just as bruising and aggressive as that first time he pinned Gabriel to the wall. 

Except this time, Gabriel didn’t really want to resist him. He deserved this. He needed it.

With a hand fisted in Gabriel’s silver hair, Lorcas forced the younger boy to his knees. Lips parted, Gabriel only put up a show of struggling before his mouth was impaled by the hard length revealed to him. As his lips stretched around that thick shaft, any pretense of resistance quickly dissolved.

Gabriel showed Lorcas that, yes, his mouth was good for more than just making him angry. Very good, in fact. The breathless curses and moans he extracted from the Huntsman attested to that, but Lorcas’ grip held firm. He made sure Gabriel’s mouth was too occupied to complain again for a long, long time.

In spite of everything, Gabriel found that he really didn’t mind.


	121. Alex: 12th Degree of Wind, 595 DE

Alex stood beside the Isten Kasdeja, both of them staring at the dry piece of wood held up by a metal clamp on the table. It was the same piece of wood she had placed there at the beginning of last month. It was the piece of wood Alex had to burn if he was going to pass this class.

Today, if he was careful, he would burn it.

Kasdeja angled her long neck so she could face Alex without moving from his side. “Are you ready to begin your lesson for today?” she asked.

“No,” he stated. He was never ready to be stuck working with her. Everyone else in class, including Isa, were stationed around the room with a partner practicing ice. The Terran instructor walked around and checked on their progress, but otherwise, they were left alone. 

Alex was the only one at his own table at the back of the room being loomed over by the Isten. He hated it.

The Isten Kasdeja was undeterred by Alex’s stubborn refusal. She began her lesson with one of her usual lectures. “Persistence is key, Ahnnak Alexiel. Elemental manipulation comes from within you, to alter that which surrounds you…” She went on for a while. Alex wasn’t really listening. He’d heard it before a dozen times.

Kasdeja’s methods to manipulate elements were very clinical and precise. She summoned them with the same ease Jequn had anytime he wanted to use them to hurt Alex. Standing near her at all was difficult, but at least she never tried to touch him. She talked a lot, mostly because Alex refused to try most days.

Except today would be different.

For the last month, Alex practiced using the firecord every chance he got. Remiel helped him a lot, as they tried to figure out how to make it look and feel authentic. To be used effectively, Alex needed to summon a small amount of energy and let it crawl through his veins. As long as he held it within him, Remiel said the energy felt a lot like fire was supposed to. If Alex released it, or his control slipped even the tiniest bit, it would snap out of him like a black spark, dissolving whatever it touched to grey ash. 

Once while practicing, the spark surprised him and he jerked his hand back from the wood, touching his shirt. It dissolved the linen immediately, then jumped to his linen pants, but didn’t touch the metal grommets or silk ties. He hadn’t been able to do anything but watch the fabric disintegrate around him, leaving him naked.

Though he’d been alone in his room at the time, the possibility of that happening in public had scared him more than the spark. After that, if he felt the power begin to slip, he quickly touched the kindling, where at least it would only destroy the wood.

Now, Alex felt he understood how to hold the energy back. If he only summoned a tiny bit, and didn’t let it creep past his wrist, he could pull the darkness back into him without risk. 

While Kasdeja spoke, Alex rubbed the thread already coiled around his left pinkie. He was eager to have this over with, but he knew he couldn’t act too excited about trying. He didn’t want Kasdeja to become suspicious of him.

“Now, young Alexiel, let’s begin,” said Kasdeja after finishing up her long-winded lecture. “Place your hands near the wood.” She waited for him to comply, then continued. “Focus on drawing heat from yourself and sending it into the wood, just as I explained.”

Alex stood there, arms held before him, keeping the cord around his finger hidden from sight. The Isten watched him closely, her gold eyes intent, like she could see right through him. It made him nervous, and he couldn’t bring himself to summon the energy needed to trick her.

“I can’t do it,” Alex said, lowering his hands.

“Alexiel, you will fail this class if you don’t try,” she said. Even though she was a patient instructor, she grew frustrated any time he wanted to give up. “I know you are capable. Even your mother was gracefully adept at energy manipulation. The likelihood of you failing to inherit a modicum of ability from either of your parents is impossible. Try again. Stay focused this time.” 

Alex sighed heavily and returned to the wood. The Isten would make him stand like this for the whole class some days, until his shoulders were too tired to support his arms. He furrowed his brow, wishing Kasdeja would give him a little more space, but she never looked away from him. 

After adjusting his stance a few times and restlessly resettling his wings, Alex finally psyched himself up enough to do it. He just had to do it once, and she would leave him alone. Just once, and he’d never have to work with her again.

A slow trickle of energy stretched out of that dark place within Alex. It curled down his right arm, eager to be released, but Alex kept it under control. 

The Isten sensed the energy. Her golden eyes tracked it down his arm. “Yes, very good, Alexiel. Just like that. Focus.”

The energy jumped forward, almost slipping from his control at her words. Panicked, Alex pulled it back, forcing it back into his core. He lowered his shaking hands, terrified of how close he’d come to letting it loose.

“Alexiel, you almost had it,” said Kasdeja, sounding disappointed. “Try again.”

“I can’t.”

“You don’t get to give up when you were so close,” she said. “You can do it. Focus and try.”

“Yes, Isten,” said Alex, sighing heavily. She was right. He could do it. He’d been practicing. He didn’t want to fail this class and be stuck taking special lessons with the Isten all next year. He just had to be careful.

Resuming his previous position, Alex repeated the process, letting the thin stretch of energy creep down his arm to his wrist. He could feel it strain, struggling to go further, but he held it back. He readied the firecord, stealthily slipping it from his finger. The restrained energy made his right hand tremble, keeping the Isten’s attention there.

“You’ve almost got it, Alexiel,” she said encouragingly. “Just push a little more. If you can do this, we won’t need to request help from your father after all.”

At the mention of the man, Alex lost his focus, just for a second. It was enough. The black energy shot to his fingertips, a spark snapping across his skin. Alex grabbed the wood, transferring the black energy there before it could touch anything else. Within the same heartbeat, realizing what he’d done, Alex snapped the coiled firecord and held it to the wood with his other hand while it ignited. The coil burned hot and fast, searing both the wood and Alex’s skin. It hurt, but he couldn’t risk being caught, not now.

There was no way to stop the way the wood from deteriorating under the spreading decay of the black spark. Alex needed to distract the Isten from looking too close. With a loud scream of pain, he reeled back from the wood, holding his burnt palm before him. 

The Isten’s focus followed him as he had hoped, just as everyone else in the room turned to watch. At least no one was paying any attention to the piece of wood disintegrating to grey ash on the table behind the Isten. The fire sputtered out, unable to keep up with the black spark’s destruction.

“It hurts!” Alex cried, holding his burnt hand to his chest. The burn did hurt, but had he not needed to keep the Isten’s attention away from the wood, he probably wouldn’t have mentioned it. He had been burned much worse before. 

“Let me see,” the Isten demanded, holding out her hand.

“No!” Alex exclaimed, letting tears come to his eyes. He took another step back. “It hurts too much!” 

Isa ran over at his cries of pain, concerned. “Alex? What happened?”

“Terran Isaiel, go back to your lesson,” said Kasdeja. “Alexiel, I can help. Let me see your hand.” Her commanding tone terrified Alex, but he knew everyone in class was watching him. The wood was only half gone. He needed her focus just another minute. 

Shaking his head, Alex dodged behind Isa when the Isten reached for him. “No!”

Isa froze, holding his hands up as he suddenly found himself between Alex and the Isten. His wings gave an anxious twitch as Alex pressed himself into his friend’s feathers.

Sternly, Kasdeja reached for Alex again. Most Isten didn’t handle being refused well. She was no different. She grabbed Isa in one hand, and even though Alex earnestly tried to escape her, she caught him with her other. She moved Isa aside and let him go, but maintained her hold on Alex. She pried open his burnt hand.

“No, don’t!” he pleaded. He didn’t need to fake the panic he felt at her touch. His wings beat frantically at his back, trying to move him away from her. She barely appeared to notice his flailing, holding his arm perfectly still.

The Isten Kasdeja pressed her palm against his, and the heat leeched from his skin in an instant. The pain diminished, but the last of the wood was still held up by the clamp.

“I am just extracting the heat, young Alexiel,” said the Isten. “It will stop the burn from damaging further than it has.” 

“No! Ow! Stop!” he wailed, trying to twist away from her. He continued to steal glances past her at the diminishing chunk of wood. “It hurts too much!”

“Enough of that, Ahnnak Alexiel. I’ll have no more performances from you,” she said firmly, her gold eyes locked on his face. “Your classmates need you to be strong for them.”

“But I’m not strong,” he whimpered, her intense golden gaze scaring him into submission. He lowered his black eyes and settled his wings, pulling them in tight against his back. 

“You’re stronger than you know.” She lifted her hand from his, examining the deep line of seared, red flesh revealed beneath the split blister across his palm. “That’s not so bad. Normally, when one channels energy, the body automatically adjusts and compensates for the elemental shift, rendering the flesh conductive. Perhaps, with your defective biology, the protective effect was not strong enough.”

Alex sniffled and watched her through his thick lashes, waiting. The wood was almost gone. It fell from the clamp, landing in the pile of grey ash on the table, where it continued to decay. He just needed another moment.

Isa stood close, where the Isten had placed him when she separated them. His eyes were on Alex, and he looked like he wanted to say something or interfere, but thankfully, he didn’t. Alex was grateful it was Isa in this class with him watching him stage a panic, not Uzzi, because the fiery boy definitely would have made the situation worse. Isa had common sense, especially when it came to not interrupting an Isten.

When Kasdeja finally released Alex’s hand, he held it tightly to his chest. He could still feel her touch on his skin. “You’ll be fine,” she said. She looked at Isa, and gave a small nod to him. “Escort Ahnnak Alexiel to the medic, if you could, young Terran.” 

“Yes, Isten.” Isa immediately came over to Alex’s side. He stood close to him, but didn’t touch him, not while Alex was shaking this much. Isa knew better.

Then, the Isten Kasdeja turned, tilting her head at a strange angle as she saw the pile of ash on the table. While she stared at it, Alex held his breath. Her head swiveled back toward him. “Well, I think it’s safe to say you passed your class, Ahnnak Alexiel.”

Alex exhaled and bowed to her. “Thank you, Isten.” Even with the burn on his hand and the memory of her skin touching his, Alex felt relieved. He cheerfully left the class with Isa and went to the medic. He couldn’t wait to tell Remiel he had passed.


	122. Barachiel: 17th Degree of Wind, 595 DE

Alert for the fiend that had incapacitated Ombri and Hul, Barach alone followed Lorcas through the dense forest. He was furious with Lorcas for what he’d done to Gabriel- what he was continuing to do to Gabriel, if the smell of him on his skin was any indication- but he couldn’t focus on that now. They were two hours into the championship game of the Winter Hunt. Only a handful of players from each of the three teams remained, and they still didn’t know what they were facing.

Duke’s squad had been the first from Archridge to fall. Half of the Red Sands squads were taken out before him, as well as one from Valley Forge. A second fell from Valley Forge, followed by Vice-Captain Cariel’s squad an hour later. Their withdrawals were noted by the monitoring orbs floating over the forest, flaring red at each of their locations. Barach could only hope there were no deaths.

Ombri and Hul, the two Terran weapons Barach had been unable to protect, were paralyzed. They lay alongside Zoldias, guarded over by Pon-Pon. Titan stood ready to attack any creature that got close to the three incapacitated Huntsmen, but it was really Drani that protected them. The Terran elementalist was on edge, crackles of his highly charged energy ready to be unleashed from his fingertips. 

Whatever the fiend they were fighting was didn’t like electricity, and Drani’s skill was likely the only thing that had kept the rest of his squad from falling with Zoldias. Hopefully it would be enough to continue to keep them safe until Lorcas was done. 

In a Hunt, until an entire squad was rendered unable to continue, they were not removed from the game. They could withdrawal, as some had been forced to do this time, but they would not be extracted by Hunt staff if there was still one member of a squad willing to fight. 

As long as Lorcas and Barach remained active, Ombri and Hul were stuck in the forest, completely helpless. Barach should have been more concerned for them, but he was still irritated that they’d both run off on their own.

Hul had gone first, darting into the forest with a shout. His desertion had been so unexpected, the momentary delay before Barach called Lorcas back was enough that when they found Hul, he was paralyzed. There were several punctures on his skin where the toxin had been injected. Barach hoisted him over his shoulder, but as he did, he realized Ombri wasn’t with the group either. 

Justifiably, Lorcas had been pissed when they went back and had to track the other Terran weapon another direction. They found Ombri paralyzed also, but he appeared to have been dragged away part of the distance. He couldn’t speak to tell them what had dropped him and retreated when Lorcas and Barach approached. Ombri also couldn’t defend himself as Lorcas snapped vicious insults at him, though Barach could tell the Terran was aware enough to hear every one of them. 

Carrying the two Terran, Lorcas and Barach soon tracked down Titan’s squad, leaving the injured with them. It was decided that Lorcas and Barach had the best chance to take the unknown fiend out. They would continue the Hunt, leaving the others to stand guard.

Before leaving the others, Lorcas and Barach had each taken half the remaining silver tags. There was nothing special about the tags this Hunt. They were just long silver barbs with a hooked end. Nothing to give away the fiend they were Hunting. 

Except this time, the fiend was definitely Hunting them instead.

A heavy mist settled over the forest, the trees appearing ominous around them. Sounds echoed in strange ways, making it difficult to determine where they came from. It had Barach on edge, but he remained prepared for an attack.

What he wasn’t prepared for was Lorcas to stop dead in his tracks, staring into the forest. “Sera?” In an instant, Lorcas took off, running recklessly through the trees. Not willing to lose another teammate, Barach chased after him, though he nearly lost him in the mist anyway.

When Barach located his Captain, he was startled to see the beautiful, lavender-haired Sera with him. She stood in some thick bushes, and Lorcas stood before her, his hand outstretched. 

“Sera, what are you doing here?” asked Lorcas.

“Help me,” she said. “I’m scared.” Her lavender eyes remained locked on Lorcas, but her voice sounded like it was echoing from far away, distorted by the dense mist around her.

“It’s okay, love. I won’t let anything happen to you. Come to me,” said Lorcas.

“Help me,” she repeated. “I’m so scared.” She remained in the bushes, trembling with fear. 

“Sera?” Lorcas approached cautiously.

Everything felt wrong about this. Barach stepped closer. “Captain, don’t-”

Sera turned, seeing Barach, and her glamor broke. The fiend that stood there had dry strands of hair hanging from its head, like kelp withered on the beach. Its grey-green flesh parted at a lipless mouth that revealed double rows of razor sharp teeth. 

Lorcas jerked back and drew his dagger. The fiend turned its attention on him again. When its eyes fixed on Lorcas, it shifted back into Sera. Lorcas’ dagger trembled as he pointed it toward her, but he took a deep breath and steadied his hand. He began to lunge forward, the flash of his dagger aimed at her throat, but as he did, Sera asked, “Don’t you love me?”

Lorcas hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. An red spine shot from Sera’s wrist, tipped with a black ooze, and it pierced Lorcas’ side. His eyes grew wide, and he muttered, “Sera…” before staggering back. His wings gave a weak flutter before his legs gave out beneath him, and the Terran collapsed on the forest floor.

Sera moved toward him, slithering through the leaves. 

“Get back, fiend!” Barach yelled, throwing both of his worthless wooden daggers at her. She hissed, dropping the disguise, and dove into the underbrush, quickly vanishing. 

Barach ran over to Lorcas. The Captain’s body was folded uncomfortably on the ground, but he was breathing. And awake, Barach realized as he got closer. 

“Paralyzing sedative,” he said, glaring up at the sky in frustration. “She’s a siren.”

“A what?” asked Barach. He picked Lorcas up and moved him over to a nearby tree, where he could be propped up more comfortably.

“A siren. She hit me once, not as bad as she got Ombri or Hul, but my limbs still won’t respond. She’s going to come back.”

“I’ll guard you.”

“She’ll be back for _you_ ,” said Lorcas, his head lulling to the side as his grey eyes watched Barach. “You’re alone now.”

“I can take care of myself,” said Barach. He readjusted Lorcas’ head into a more comfortable position. “And I won’t let her kill you, even if I should.”

Lorcas’ lip twitched into a smirk. “Now is the only chance you’re going to get to take me out, Ahnnak.”

Barach slipped Lorcas’ dagger from his stiff hand. He held it pointed at him. “After the Hunt, we’ll settle up, Lorcas. Right now, I need to make sure no one else dies.”

“Good luck, rookie,” he said. “Don’t make me regret helping you.” 

With a scoff, Barach stood. “Help. Yeah, right.” What had Lorcas ever done to help him?

Barach walked a little ways away, always keeping Lorcas and the tree in sight. Barach knew the sound of the fiend now, and could hear it nearby, slithering through the decaying leaves of the forest floor, but the mist distorted the sound. It was difficult to determine exactly where it was coming from. 

With the dagger in one hand, and a silver tag in the other, Barach cautiously moved through the forest. He felt the shift in the air on his feathers before he heard the sound. Barach spun, coming face to face with the siren.

“Help me,” said Erem. “I’m scared.”

Barach blinked. “E-Erem?” His blue-skinned boyfriend trembled, his soft lips quivering like he was about to start crying.

“Help me,” he repeated. He reached a hand toward Barach. His ice-blue eyes remained locked on Barach’s face. His silver hair lay in surf tousled waves to his blue shoulders. “Don’t you love me?” he asked.

Barach stepped forward, not looking away from Gabriel’s blue eyes in Erem’s face. “Always,” he said, then raised the silver tag and jabbed it into the eye of the fiend. 

It screamed, reeling back as clawed hands clutched at its face. Barach jabbed forward with the dagger, trying to slice open its stomach. The dagger glanced off the hard belly scales. The fiend hissed, lashing out at him. Barach jumped back, narrowly missing getting ripped open by its claws. 

One eye bloody, the fiend’s other eye focused on Barach. Its eye was a black as solid as the deepest ocean abyss. Its mouth echoed sounds that could have been words, but they were none Barach recognized. It lunged for him again, propelled forward on a writhing tail like a snake. Barach grabbed one of its wrists, preventing the sharp red spike from stabbing him. 

“Don’t you love me?” it hissed again, leaning closer with its mouth full of sharp teeth. Its skin flickered to blue, its hair shined with silver, and the one eye remaining swirled with yellow and blue.

Gritting his teeth, Barach lashed out with the dagger again, leaving his side undefended. As he slid the blade across the fiend’s throat, he felt the other red spike sink between his ribs.

The fiend’s mouth opened and closed as it gasped for air. Slits on its ribs flared, revealing pink gills within, but it didn’t matter. Its blood gushed over Barach’s hand, draining from its body faster than it would be able to recover from, even if it could still breathe. Barach tried moving back, but the spike in his side tugged the heavy fiend with him. He snapped the spike off its wrist and quickly backed up as the fiend collapsed. 

Barach was able to make it back over to Lorcas before the paralytic hit his legs. He sat down beside the Captain, leaning against him and the tree as the heavy weight of the fiend’s poison settled into his limbs. 

The conjured lights over the forest erupted into sparks of celebratory fireworks. The Winter Hunt was over. They would have to wait for the official results, but considering there were no other visible tags on the fiend, Barach felt pretty safe assuming they won.

“I knew you could do it,” said Lorcas. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” replied Barach. His chest felt tight, and he had a panicked moment where he wondered if the poison would paralyze his lungs, too. 

“Don’t worry,” said Lorcas. “You’ll be fine. The sirens like to eat their prey while they’re still alive. It’ll wear off in a few hours.”

“I’m not worried,” Barach said, trying to sound less scared than he was. He hated not having control of his body. 

“If you ever run into one in the wild, you should be. They usually hunt in packs. Even if you kill one, there will always be another.” Lorcas sniffled. “Figures… My nose would have to itch now…”

Barach clenched his jaw. After everything, how could Lorcas be so flippant? “I’m done with the Hunt.”

“You can’t quit.”

“I can. I am. The only reason I joined this stupid game was to stop you from touching Gabriel. You broke your end of our agreement. I have no reason to stay.”

“If that’s the only reason you stayed, then fine. Go. Be my guest. You can walk out of here right now.” Lorcas chuckled at his joke. 

“You’re not funny,” Barach grumbled. He could just see the Captain’s face from the corner of his eye. 

Still smiling, Lorcas said, “I know. Fiends, I know. But I saw the way the siren appeared when she focused on you. You’ve got your own issues, don’t you, rookie?”

“Shut up,” Barach grumbled, not at all happy about what he’d seen either.

Lorcas sighed heavily. “Listen, we all do things we regret, Barach. And we also do some things we _should_ regret, that we don’t. Like how I don’t regret letting that silver-haired brat into my room last weekend. And I don’t regret reporting that the Homm instructor was alone when he slipped over the railing that same night.”

Barach swallowed hard, suddenly having difficulty breathing, and it wasn’t just the poison. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t worry, your secret will be safe with me. If I wasn’t such a coward, maybe I would have done the same thing,” said Lorcas. “So, even if you leave the Hunt, I won’t tell. It’s the least I can do for you after all this.” The Captain raised his grey eyes to the sky and exhaled slowly. “You know… sometimes I forget how pretty the stars are at night.”

Barach looked up, too. The glittering swash of lights above them, twinkling through the leaves of the forest, really were beautiful. Barach licked his lips. “Maybe… Maybe I won’t leave the Hunt just yet,” he said softly.

“Good,” answered Lorcas. “I’d hate to think what the team would become without you after I’m gone.” 

They sat in silence, watching the stars overhead, until the Hunt officials arrived on the scene to examine the fiend’s body. The medics arrived soon after to tend to the wounded.

With over thirty-eight Huntsmen paralyzed, but no deaths, the Winter Hunt concluded. Archridge won the championship.


	123. Remiel: 26th Degree of Wind, 595 DE

Remiel laughed, watching Uzzi chase Alex and Nakia around the atrium in Imperial housing. He sat at the top of the stairs, close to where Alex’s room used to be when he first came to the academy. It always amazed Remiel to think how much the boy had grown in that small amount of time. 

“Got you!” Uzzi cried triumphantly, tagging Nakia. He spun and took off running as she turned, vaulting a marble bench to chase after him. “You have to go after Alex! You can’t tag me back!” 

“Then you better run faster, Inferno!” she hollered. Uzzi veered toward Alex, and the black-haired boy grinned, running away from both of them. It made Remiel so happy to see him play like that.

Since no one else was staying in Imperial housing at the moment, it was a nice area for the kids to play, especially since the rest of the academy was in such disarray. It was the final six degree break of the year, and everyone was busy switching rooms for the new classes.

Remiel already had the boys taken care of. They had moved up to the seventh year rooms, but Alex, Uzzi, and Isa got to remain roommates. Isa had to go home during the long break, but he had helped move his belongings up before he left.

Tomorrow, Remiel would deal with his own room, but it could wait until his roommates were done moving out. Even though Remiel was finally starting classes in the textile manufacturing specialization, with roommates who were also signed up for the same classes, he knew he would still see Chaidi and Tirq fairly often. The two of them weren’t so bad, once Remiel got to know them.

Plus, over the past month, Chaidi had been able to introduce Remiel to a few carefully chosen Terran who didn’t mind parting with part of their monthly allowance for a couple thin braids of firecord. Tirq knew a couple Homm in Marut who would pay over twice as much.

With their covert help, Remiel made more money in the past month than he had received extra from Iscriel all year.

The first thing he bought with his extra money was a gold ring like Sophie’s, but for Zak. Remiel still had it, worn on his thumb, and he planned on giving it to his Terran boyfriend the next time he visited him. It was fitting that the three of them would all match.

“Stay off the statue,” Remiel called when Nakia chased Alex over the fountain. 

“Yes, Remi,” answered Alex dutifully, before he jumped off the fountain and sped away. Nakia was close behind him. Even though she didn’t have wings to aid her, she was awfully fast, and would probably catch Alex soon. The boy could sprint, he just did not have the endurance to maintain the speed.

The three kids circled back around the room. It was nearly time for lunch. Remiel wondered if they were getting hungry. He stood, straightening out his outfit, when he felt a buzz of energy and heard a crack. He looked up at the statue and saw it tilt just as Nakia chased Alex before it. 

“Alex!” Remiel cried.

The black-haired boy stopped, looking up as the giant marble statue tilted toward him. He had time to run. He could move. Why wasn’t he moving?!

Alex turned, shoving Nakia back hard as the statue crashed down on top of him. Remiel wasn’t fast enough. He flew down the stairs, but there was nothing he could have done. 

“Alex? Alex!?” he yelled, picking up the broken stones and tossing them aside. 

“R-Remi?” said Uzzi, his voice shaking. 

“Go get help!” yelled Remiel, making the fiery boy jump, but Uzzi quickly ran off to find someone. The Homm princess lay unconscious by the wall, gravel around her feet, but appearing otherwise unharmed by the stone. Remiel wasn’t sure. He couldn’t go check on her. He had to get Alex. 

When he found the black-haired boy amid the white marble, he quickly tossed the rest of the heavy stones off him. 

Remiel sat in the rubble, cradling Alex’s limp body in his arms until Uzzi returned with the medics and academy staff to help.

***

“He’ll be okay,” Remiel told Gabriel, moving away from the bed Alex lay on to allow the silver-haired boy space to approach. He also didn’t want to stand close to Gabriel, but the medic’s office wasn’t big enough to avoid that.

Gabriel stood by his brother’s bed, lightly touching the long black hair that curled across the pillow. A yellow glow surrounded Alex’s peaceful face, keeping the boy sedated while the healer’s energy remained in his body, mending the dozen broken bones he’d suffered when the statue collapsed on him.

Barach stood beside the door to the room, his dark eyes watching Gabriel and Alex. He held his arm at his side like it hurt him. Remiel noticed swelling and dark bruises around his wrist. 

“Are you hurt?” Remiel asked Barach. “Medic Haniel will be back-”

“It’s nothing,” said the stoic Ahnnak. He covered his wrist with his hand. “Hunt accident.”

“Congratulations on your championship, by the way,” said Remiel. “I heard you had a big part of the win.”

Barach nodded, but he didn’t say anything. He just kept watching Gabriel and Alex. 

Remiel turned and watched Gabriel with his brother as well. It was too bad Alex wasn’t awake. He hadn’t seen Gabriel at all since the Descendants Festival, and Remiel knew the boy missed his brother. 

Except… 

After the festival, Sophie had mentioned something strange Gabriel had said while she was healing. She thought maybe Alex would be better off if he spent less time alone with his brother. Remiel couldn’t say he disagreed with her.

“They say he’ll be able to start classes on the second or third,” Remiel told Gabriel as the silence pressed on. “He won’t miss too much time.”

“I’m not worried about him missing a few lessons,” Gabriel said darkly. “How could you have let this happen?”

“It was an accident, Gabriel. There was nothing I could do. It fell so fast.”

“You’re fucking worthless, Remi.” Gabriel glared back at him, his ice-blue eyes sending an uneasy chill down Remiel’s spine. No, he had no regrets about keeping Alex away from that boy. 

Gabriel turned back to his brother, carefully adjusting the blankets covering him. Even if he disliked Gabriel, Remiel couldn’t stand the silence. He asked, “How’d your classes go? I hear you’re the top student again.”

Gabriel’s wings opened stiffly behind him. “I only received partial credit in statistics. I passed the test perfectly, but after Tassin died…” He stopped, he jaw clenching tight for a moment while he looked down at Alex. 

“Yes, that was terrible,” Remiel said sympathetically. “Were you close to him?”

“No,” said Gabriel. “But when he died, they submitted his official grade book. There was an issue with my score, and the temporary teacher refused to adjust it. Even a perfect score on the final test wasn’t enough to convince her.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s not that bad, right? You’re still the top student.”

Gabriel turned on him, stomping over and shoving Remiel back onto the bed. “Listen, _Ahnnak_ , I know what you are.” He grabbed the silk fabric of Remiel’s tunic, holding him down while he snarled down at him. “You think I didn’t do my research into your lineage after Crispy assigned you to him?”

Remiel lay still, hands up by his head, trying not to antagonize the silver-haired boy any further. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Ander,” Gabriel snapped. Remiel felt his blood run cold. “You let Alex get hurt again, and I’m going to make sure you get removed from this academy. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Remiel whispered, the word barely passing his lips.

“Gabriel, leave him alone,” said Barach. He touched the silver-haired boy’s shoulder. “It wasn’t his fault.”

“Get the fuck off me,” Gabriel yelled, spinning around. “Touch me again, and I’ll break your other wrist.” He stormed past Barach, only glancing briefly at his peacefully sleeping brother. He left the medic’s office without another word.

Barach turned to Remiel. “Sorry about that. He’s just upset about Alex.”

“Y-Yeah.” Remiel cautiously sat up. He tried straightening out his shirt with his shaking hands, but the silk had been crushed and twisted. He would need steam to get it to lie flat again.

“Is it true? What he called you?” 

Remiel glanced up at Barach. He saw a hardness and mistrust in the stoic Ahnnak’s eyes that hadn’t been there before. Barach stared at Remiel’s wings, looking for flaws that weren’t there. 

“No, I’m not,” Remiel said as confidently as he could in the situation. He opened one perfectly white, unblemished wing. “Do you really think Iscriel would have assigned me to Alex if I was?” 

The suspicion remained, but Barach didn’t press more. “I know this time wasn’t your fault, but Gabriel doesn’t forgive easy, especially not when it comes to his brother.” 

“Yeah, I’m aware,” Remiel muttered. He couldn’t help but glance at Barach’s broken wrist. Had Gabriel really done that to him? 

“Take care of Alex,” said Barach gruffly. Then, a little softer, he added, “I know you’re trying.”

“Thanks, Barach,” Remiel said.

The stoic Ahnnak inclined his head in a slight bow, then turned and left the room. Remiel sat alone in the medic’s office with Alex once more. His wings gave an anxious twitch, which he quickly controlled. 

Of all the ways for this year to end, this was the last thing Remiel expected. It did not bode well for things to come next year at Archridge Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--End of Year Three--
> 
> This year took on a life of its own, growing much bigger than I had planned. Going forward, I'm going to split each year into its own work to keep the file size more manageable. Year Four will be starting soon [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15805584/chapters/36786510). 
> 
> Thank you for reading. Your questions and comments are always welcome.


End file.
